Reading Notes #561

It is time to share new reading notes. It is a habit I started a long time ago where I share a list of all the articles, blog posts, and books that catch my interest during the week.

If you think you may have interesting content, share it!

The suggestion of the week

• How to use GitHub Copilot: Prompts, tips, and use cases (Rizel Scarlett, Michelle Mannering) - A very helpful post that helps thinking how to communicate efficiently with Copilot, by breaking down our instructions and being more specific.

Programming

• Step-by-Step Guide: Testing HTTP Endpoints in Visual Studio 2022 Using Endpoints Explorer (Andy) - So many new API related features these days in VS. This post shows you some of them.
• Learn how to mock your HttpClient in C# now with 2 simple methods (Henrique) - Nice post that explains how to Mock these HTtp calls... Because unit tests are important and APIs are everywhere it's a must!
• Docker Desktop and Windows – what’s the best option for you? (Vinicius Apolinario) - I didn't know there was such a difference between those two! I mean I get it but I'm still surprised by the differences. This is a very instructive post.
• Azure App Configuration and .NET API: a smart and secure way to manage configurations (Davide Bellone) - This is a nice tutorial that shares best security practices.
• Introducing the New T4 Command-Line Tool for .NET - .NET Blog (Mike Corsaro) - Feels like ages since I used T4... Happy to see that this powerful tool is still around and even more, updating.

Low Code

• Exploring the Power of AI Builder: Empowering Students and Educators (Lee Stott) - Why should you be interested in AI Builder and where to find it. This is what that post is about.
• Integrating Microsoft Sentinel and Power Platform to better monitor and protect your low-code solutions (Simran Kaur) - Currently only available in preview this solution will definitely help enterprises to manage their Power Platform more securely.

Miscellaneous

• Introducing the Microsoft Store channel on Discord - #ifdef Windows (Sergio Pedri) - Nice news. There is now a place to talk about the store.
• 9 Steps to Master the Keyboard and Become an Ultra Efficient Software Developer (Michael Shpilt) - Short post that gives a few ideas on how to use more efficiently your keyboard and enjoy it.

~Frank

Reading Notes #80

Suggestion of the week

• Cross Browser Debugging integrated into Visual Studio with BrowserStack (Scott Hanselman) – Wow! Wow! Wow! Great addition to Visual Studio. That the first thing I will do next time I 'm opening VS. And just when Expression suite is going down. Hum…

Cloud

• Windows Azure VM Development: Part 1 (Bryan Bolling) - Great post about how to get started working with VM in Azure. First post of a promising series.
• YouTrack — Agile Issue & Project Tracker - Great tutorial that explains a steps from A to Z how install YouTrack in an Azure VM to enjoy Agile project tracking.
• Access SQL Azure Data Using Java Script (Angshuman Nayak) - Interesting exercises. It could be used in a local web page.
• Announcing Amazon Elastic Transcoder - Amazon is replying to the Windows Azure Media Services that was releasing last week by announcing a service of the same kind.
• Startup Accelerator for Windows Azure: Demo Day (Scott Gu)- Exiting program for start-ups. See what you did missed and how you could jump-in.
• Maarten Balliauw {blog} (Maarten Balliauw) - Get tutorial for continuous development. I'm looking forward to see more tools/framework from .Net that will be supported.
• Using Fiddler to decipher Windows Azure PowerShell or REST API HTTPS traffic (Avkash Chauhan) - Great use of PowerShell to deploy.
• 39 design patterns to boost your cloud architecture (Joe McKendrick) - Post to bookmark, it contains also SOA references.
• “Key not valid for use in specified state” exception when working with the Access Control Service – Great tutorial/ workaround to manage issue with the certificate when deploying with Azure.

Database

• Backup TO DISK, TAPE and now URL - Backup On-Premises SQL Server Databases to Azure Storage - Enjoy the new way to do your on-premise Sql database backup.
• Build better VHDs with expanded SQL SysPrep support in SQL Server 2012 SP1 CU2 - A lot of information about the SysPrep tool and the new feature to get more control on your Sql Database VM. These prepared VM are supported on-premise or in Azure.
• How Does the Cloud Change a Database Administrator’s Job? - Excellent post if you are DBA or even only database related. This post gives a good summary of the cloud database ecosystem and a lot of other good references.

Programming

• TFS and VS 2012 Update 1 Released (Bryan) - Announce of the new update in Visual Studio 2012 and is correlation with TFS... update now.
• TFS Power Tools Issues (Dustin Metzgar) - Little tips to be able to enjoy TFS PowerShell cmdlets.
• Developer Movement Windows Phone App Challenge (Jonathan Rozenblit) - Developers you have until end of February to take this challenge!
• Git support for Visual Studio - Git, TFS, and VS put into Context (Scott Hanselman) – Woo hou! Great news! I now a lot of friends that will be really happy of that... If they believe me.
• Learning JustMock for Working with Nasty Dependencies(frazzleddad) - Good post that compare rhino mock and justmock with some code samples.

Miscellaneous

• 3 Tactics to Breed Innovation - Easy rules to stimulate new ideas and creativity in your team.
• Executing Powershell commands in Windows Azure Web or Worker Role VM Instance return exception (Avkash Chauhan) - Nice tips!
• Plex is the media center software ecosystem I've been waiting for (Scott Hanselman) - Plex was a big discovery for my in the holidays. Since then I can’t imagine how I could do without it.

~Frank

Reading Notes #65

Cloud

• Cloning Windows Azure Virtual Machines - Nice post. Very well explain through the Azure portal.
• Microsoft Cloud Analysis Tool and Infrastructure Optimization Tool (JD Meier) – Nice presentation of the tool all in image.
• Use strategy pattern to support cloud storage (Henry He) - Interesting pattern to support both on-premise and cloud storage. A demo is available.
• Using Azure Web Sites to market your Windows App - Good sample of how Windows Azure Website can be used. Quick, easy and free!
• Why Hyper-V? (New Whitepaper) - Short introduction about hyper-v and reference on good link.
• AWS Free Usage Tier Now Includes Amazon RDS - Nice news, a relational database for free!
• 5 things healthcare organizations must know before moving to the cloud - Nice checklist before left-off
• Startups, BizSpark & Windows Azure – Better Together! (Marc Gagné) - Details about who can be in BizSpark and how.
• Windows Azure In-Role Caching - Great article that that dive dipper than usual post about Azure Cache.
• What’s the benefit of the cloud? - Quick opinion post about what the "real" benefit of the cloud and I agree.... but I still think that you can save money, gain speed and stability.

Programming

• You Can Tell a Lot About Developers From Their Scratchpads (Erik Dietrich) - Interesting post about what your dummy application can tell about you.
• Enabling code coverage on TFS 2012—it’s easy (David Scruggs) - Nice quick tip.

• Five Things to Know When Designing a Windows 8 App - Interesting post that review some of the change brought by windows 8 and is wind of change for developer mainly for UI.
• Difference Between IEnumerable and IQueryable (Nischal Bhatt) - A very nice tutorial that explain simplify the difference between those two important interfaces.
• A Few New OData Things of Interest (Glenn Gailey) - New features of oData and reference link to get started.
• The Art of Unit Testing Reviewed - This book is in to read stack and just get bring back to the top. Good review.
• Amazon Simple Email Service Announces Mailbox Simulator - Could be very useful.
• New SSDT Power Tools! Now for both Visual Studio 2010 and Visual Studio 2012 - Wow a must for all developers. This update is really nice and it will save a lot of trouble.
• Web Page Redirects on Amazon S3 Hosted Websites - Good idea.

Integration

• Opinions about BizTalk360 from the experts (Saravana Kumar) - Great way to learn more about how nice is Biztalk360.

Miscellaneous

• Rise to the Modern App Challenge - So much event across all the Canada in English AND French!
• Good Blogs Take Time (Darren Rowse) - Oooh I known. But it's also fun!
• The new Microsoft (Eric Brec) - A very enthusiastic opinion from the inside about the new Microsoft.
• 3 Signs That You Are Stressed Out (And How To Fix It) (Tom Searcy) - I lithe quote.

[…]"When my sock drawer is perfectly folded, sorted and lined up, I know that I am out of control in my life." […]

• Picture This (Simon) - Great application available on all mobile device and desktop.
• Brain Droppings - A lot of funny thoughts that make my morning...
• 9 Things You Wish Job Candidates Knew (Jeff Haden) - Great tips to be prepare at you’re next interview. This post gives useful information to be reading winning a job, a contract, a fun project, etc.
• Dropbox Now Helps Team Admins Get Everyone To Turn On Two-Step Verification (Drew Olanoff) - Great news from Dropbox. And a new Rss feed to add to my list.
• The Story of the New Microsoft.com - Good ready it's nice to follow how those great projects become what they are.

~Frank