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Maybe I can do web development

Maybe I can do web development

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I feel myself moving over to the dark side.  I don’t like web development.   I say that, not having done much of it.  What I’ve done and what I know, it seems like a huge step back from my comfortable world of client development where all things are known and within reach. But Windows Development no longer rules supreme. I thought Rich clients were the answer but I’m no longer so sure.

One web designer I know put it this way: "Regarding Web Development, creating web pages is for designers, the hard core programmers are much more comfortable doing server development where they don’t have to mess with HTML".  I’ll buy that.

I asked the designer why browser based apps are becoming the de facto standard.  I’ve always believed browser based apps came from a requirement that platforms beyond Windows be supported; or that people need access to a program and their data when they’re not at home.  The browser is the common platform where a single code base could be developed and run on Windows, Mac, and Linux.  With some prodding on my part, the designer finally arrived at what I believe to be the real reason.  Programs are developed for the browser because the browser presents a metaphor that people are familiar with.  Most people will be able to figure out and navigate a new website (i.e. browser-based service) with no training.  And there is a browser on every computer sold with no software installation needed. All you need to know is a web address.

I just finished taking an intensive one week class titled C# Boot Camp.  The instructor was Richard Shaw of The Richard Hale Shaw Group.  I learned a lot.  I learned a bunch of stuff I wish I’d known when I was thrown into C# development for the first time four months ago.  It was great exposure to the breadth of functionality and constructs of the .NET Framework.

One thing that I find seductive about .NET is that if I choose to go in that direction for web development, I can skip the whole AJAX thing and for the most part, build websites in C# ! I realize, that was Microsoft’s intention with .NET, win over the non-html programmers.   I find HTML and Java script very frustrating to work with.

I"m also thinking of porting my Client User Interface Library to .NET.

Today, simplicity rules and if you have to give up some functionality and speed (yeah, yeah, I know AJAX rocks and all, but that just brings web apps closer to par with client apps and there is still plenty of stuff best done on the client) when using a browser based app, so bit it.  People are voting with their mouse and flocking to the web for functionality that was once the domain of the client app.

Microsoft Empower ISV program

Microsoft Empower ISV program

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Microsoft Empower for ISVs
Empower Benefits

Microsoft Empower for ISVs offers the following benefits:
  • Up to five (5) software licenses (for internal use):

    • Microsoft Windows XP

    • Microsoft Office XP (Premium or Developer Edition) or Microsoft Office 2003 Editions

  • One (1) software license and up to five (5) Client Access Licenses (CALs) for:

    • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (Standard or Enterprise Edition)

    • Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server (Standard or Enterprise Edition)

    • Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (Standard or Enterprise Edition)

    • Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003

  • Development and Testing License: One (1) MSDN Premium Subscription media kit and five (5) user licenses**

    • One (1) MSDN Premium Media kit (DVD)

    • Each MSDN Premium Subscription includes the full range of Microsoft Windows Server System integrated server software, all Microsoft operating systems, Microsoft productivity applications (Office Developer Edition, Microsoft Project, FrontPage, Visio, and MapPoint), as well as access to SDKs, DDKs, and the MSDN Library. Each subscription also gives you priority access to new product releases, updates, and betas through the MSDN Downloads site.

    • Five (5) licenses to Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition. Up to five (5) users, concurrent with development and testing licenses provided with the MSDN Premium Subscription, may use Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition.

  • MSDN Online Managed Support Newsgroups (English Only)

    • Ask software, hardware, and related technology questions in the newsgroups supported by Microsoft Support Professionals.

  • MSDN Online Concierge Trial (English Only)

    • This service helps users find articles and resources within MSDN. It is available worldwide and provides real-time responses.

  • ISV Advisory Service – 10 Hours

    • This new phone-based consultative service helps Microsoft solutions partners develop applications using Microsoft technologies. Select from a broad range of services including ad hoc development advice and best practice recommendations, as well as code samples and limited technology architecture or application design reviews.

Empower Requirements

To join Microsoft Empower for ISVs, participants must meet the following requirements:
  • Be a Registered Member of the Microsoft Partner Program.

  • Submit the URL of your company’s official website at the time of enrollment, using the online enrollment tool. Maintenance of the contact information on the official corporate website is required during the membership.

  • Commit to developing one (1) packaged and resalable software application that supports at least one of the following Microsoft technologies:

    • Microsoft Windows Server 2003

    • Microsoft Windows XP

    • Microsoft SQL Server 2000

    • Microsoft Mobility platform (Microsoft Windows Mobile software for Pocket PCs, Microsoft Windows Mobile software for Smartphones)

    • Microsoft Business Solutions

  • Execute the Initiative Agreement located in the online enrollment tool.

  • Pay the annual membership fee of US$375 (fee varies from country to country).

  • Provide profile information on planned software application development.

Act now to receive one MSDN Premium Subscription media kit and five user licenses at the membership fee of US$375 (the membership fee varies by country).

What Programming Language to use

What Programming Language to use

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Steve writes about the motivation in choosing a programming language for a task.

Choosing a programming language tends to involve an interesting intersection of what you need (i.e., requirements), what you know (i.e., past experience), and what you believe (i.e., bias and flexibility).  … Choice of programming language should depend on the project(s) at hand, the team(s) doing the work, and the business interests of those who will own the intellectual property.  There is no "best" programming language; the suitability of a language depends on the problem domain to which is it being applied and the people doing the appying…Too often, however, developers go with what’s cool or what they know. 

I would say that choosing what you know is the number one reason.  And it’s often the single person in an organization with the most clout that decides it for the group.  I think the scenario Steve describes where the choice of language is selected without bias, is rare.

Free .NET blog application

Free .NET blog application

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DasBlog. 

dasBlog Community Edition is an ASP.NET weblogging application. It runs on ASP.NET 1.1 and is developed in C#. dasBlog, an evolution of the BlogX weblog engine, adds lots of additional features like Trackback, Pingback, Mail notifications, full Blogger/M

Here is a testimonial

Another C# based application is .TEXT but it is no longer supported.