Mike Henderlight blogs that the "Crossbow"-technology will actually be part of WPF.

"We have spent the last several months working very hard on developing and executing on a plan where we could deliver the Crossbow runtime as an integral part of WPF.  As of the Beta2 release of WPF, the Crossbow runtime will be part of the WPF redist and reside in the GAC just like all of the other WPF components.  And from that point forward we will be on the WPF ship schedule which means that we will RTM with WPF."

This is great! The Crossbow-technology has been created by a seperate team within Microsoft, but I'm sure when WPF hits the streets most developers will assume this to be a very "oh yeah, there is interop with WinForms, what's new" kind of feature. You know? One that everyone expects to be there, but is really very very cool.

Great article on: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1931914,00.asp

There will be a session about Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF) by Marcel de Vries on the upcoming Software Developer Event. Just to get a headstart have a look at this article by Dino Espito: http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/building/workflow/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnlong/html/wfgetstart.asp

Last december I did a presentation on using Visual Studio Tools for Office 2005 to develop Outlook add-ins. I just received an email from my friend Lucas with a bunch of more recent links on this topic.

Here it is:

Extending Enterprise Applications with Microsoft Outlook: Architectural Design Guide

Summary: Provides an architectural design and sample code that demonstrates an approach for integrating enterprise CRM and other LOB application data into the Microsoft Outlook user interface. (20 printed pages)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/architecture/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnbda/html/OtlkLOBCRM.asp

Synchronizing a Local Data Store with Microsoft OutlookSynchronizing a Local Data Store with Microsoft Outlook

Summary: Utilize a SQL Express database as a local data cache and the programmability of Microsoft Outlook to integrate enterprise CRM data within the Outlook user interface. (25 printed pages)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnbda/html/OtlkLDSSynch.asp

Outlook Customization for Integrating with Enterprise Applications

Summary: Improve the availability of CRM data for information workers by creating a sample Outlook add-in and associated set of utility classes using Visual Studio Tools for Office that displays enterprise CRM data naturally within the Outlook user interface. (30 printed pages)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnbda/html/OtlkCustInEntApp.asp

Sample

Microsoft has developed a sample Outlook add-in solution that demonstrates how the Outlook UI can be extended and customized to create a front-end for a CRM system. For more information about the "CRM Integration Add-in Sample for Microsoft Outlook" see http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/9/C/99CD8598-2A46-48A8-9A5B-7A30D46C0856/CRM Integration Sample for Outlook Source Setup.msi.

I was coding a little tool to send our SDN newsletters and discovered the new SmtpMail stuff in .NET2.0. Now you don't need to code any stuff for setting your mailserver or credential. Just configure it!

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <system.net>
    <mailSettings>
      <smtp deliveryMethod="Network">
        <network host="mail.myserver.net" 
          port="25"  
          userName="Mark" 
          password="secret"/>
      </smtp>
    </mailSettings>
  </system.net>
</configuration>

Now just send the message using the new classes in System.Net.Mail:

System.Net.Mail.SmtpClient client = new System.Net.Mail.SmtpClient();
client.Send( message );

The February CTP build of the WinFX SDK and also the Orcas February CTP will both feature Crossbow.

Crossbow will allow you to use WPF functionality on existing Windows Forms.

Read more on: http://blogs.msdn.com/mhendersblog/archive/2006/02/01/522723.aspx

Update:

There is also an MSDN show on MSDNtv: http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdntv/episode.aspx?xml=episodes/en/20060216CrossbowMH/manifest.xml

The February CTP is now available for download, also the WinFX release candidate is available on the same page:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getthebeta/default.aspx

A list of breaking changes between this and the January CTP has been posted here:

http://windowscommunication.net/collateral/pages/BreakingChangesJanCTPToFebCTP.htm

Today I had a discussion about coding guidelines and in particular about the size of a class, the number of methods in a class and the number of lines of code per class. What is right?

Ofcourse a little search on Google revealed millions of hits. Some of the more useful ones were:

• Java Code Guidelines: http://www.horstmann.com/bigj/style.html
• C# Coding Style Guide: http://www.csharpfriends.com/Articles/getArticle.aspx?articleID=336
• IDesign C# Coding Standards: http://www.idesign.net/idesign/download/IDesign%20CSharp%20Coding%20Standard.zip
• The Philips Guidelines: http://www.tiobe.com/standards/gemrcsharpcs.pdf

Most standards don't say much about the size of a class, the number of methods in a class and the number of lines of code per class. The few that do say something come fairly close.

Here's the sum of guidelines that I think I'll stick by:

1. A source file should only contain one class
2. A method should be no more than 30 lines of code, excluding blank lines and comments
3. A source file should contain no more than 1000 lines, including blanks and comments
4. An interface should have no more than 10 methods, excluding overloads, ie. the combination of overloads counts as one methods
5. C# 2.0 allows partial classes:
• a source file should only contain one partial class
• don't split the implementation of an interface across multiple files
• for large classes split the implementation of interfaces and implement one interface per file
• Filename:  <classname>.<interfacename>.cs
• if you have a class which implements one interace, but has a lot of private methods, then create a partial class with just the private methods:
• Filename: <classname>.private.cs

Ad 2.
This is the average I found and seems to make sense, since this means that with one look at the screen your brain can absorb the whole method.

Ad 3.
I'm not convinced this is a very important rule. Having 2000 lines of code in one file or spread across two classes in two files doesn't really make that big a difference to me. See also ad 5.

Ad 4.
This is mainly because of Intellisense. Ten methods will provide optimum use of Intellisense.

Ad 5.
Partial classes are great!

I'll be speaking at the Software Developer Conference 2006. The biggest software developer usergroup meeting in The Netherlands and probably Europe. Are you going? If not, why not?

Ten reasons for coming to SDC 2006:

- The schedule: 90+ sessions about software development, software development and more software development, and to sum it up: more software development.
- The speakers: the best of best, the cream of the crop from all over the world!
- The sessions: educational, in depth, fun and repeated so you don't have to miss any.
- The evenings: the monday nights at SDC are always great, for now still a suprise but it will be very amusing!
- The Internet Cafe: there will be Wi-Fi at the conference, but for those who don't have a laptop with them there will be the Internet Cafe.
- All-in price: the SDN is a no-nonsense usergroup, so no surprises and a crazy value for money conference. The registrationfee covers everything except for the bartab on Monday night.
- Supplier access: all important industry supplies will be present and available for questions.
- Goodiebag: with notebook, nice bag, extra's and extra's...
- Location: to be at Papendal for two days is a great environment to leave your work behind and submerge in the sessions and the wealth of knowledge which will be shared.
- Price: as a usergroup the SDN does not organize this conference for profit, but for you, the developer!

Want more information? Go to: www.sdc.nl

Ofcourse you're going! See you there!

So you're a developer and you want to get started with Windows Presentation Foundation (a.k.a.) Avalon?
Well here are the steps I took to play around with this new and hip technology:

1. Create a fresh VirtualPC image with WindowsXP SP2. I read that you can also use Windows Server 2003 if you wish.
2. Install Visual Studio 2005. I use Professional edition, but the beta's also work with the Visual Studio Express editions.
3. Download the WinFX software developer kit at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getthebeta/default.aspx 
   I've downloaded the WinFX RTC plus the VS2005 extensions.
   Note that if you want to install the VS2005 extensions you also need to download the Windows SDK beta.
   If you don't install the SDK the VS2005 extensions will show a message saying that you need to install the Windows SDK and then also make sure that you install the beta SDK, the regular SDK will not suffice!
   Feels like my WindowsXP machine is being turned into a Vista machine already
4. Install the WinFx RTC download. The installer will want to download another 16MB of data, so make sure your VirtualPC environment has Internet access.
5. Install the Windows SDK beta.
6. Install the VS2005 Extensions package.
7. Install the VS2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation. These are obviously optional for playing around with the WPF beta, but since we're setting up a play area we might as well get it complete.

Done? Okay, time to test to see if all is well.

Make a little test XAML application, it ofcourse has to be:

a) Use notepad to create a file called 'test.xaml'
b) Copy code below into file.

<Page xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/avalon/2005" 
      xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/xaml/2005">
   <TextBlock>Hello World!</TextBlock>
</Page>

c) Save
d) Double click the file.
e) Yeah! A real life XAML application.

I also tried placing this test file on my webserver ( http://www.develop-one.net/presentations/code/wfm/test.xaml ) but opening this URL results in a security exception. I'll look into that some more later. Probably still need to add this URL my Trusted sites.

I've just been confirmed as a speaker at the Software Developer Event, the 24th of March 2006 in Ede, The Netherlands. I'll be doing an exciting session about Windows Presentation Foundation, a.k.a. Avalon.

For more information read the session abstract below. Hope to see you there!

Working with Windows Presentation Foundation
This introductory session about Windows Presentation Foundation, formerly known as Avalon, consists of two parts. The first part is about the WPF fundamentals. Here the developer will get 'a look under the hood' in order to get a better understanding of what is happening when developing a WPF application. The second part of the session looks at two tools that can be used to actually develop a WPF application and be productive while doing it, because who really wants to manually program XAML, right? The first tool we'll look at is codenamed 'Cider'. This tool allows a developer to create WinForm-like applications with WPF. The second tool is codenamed 'Sparkle' and is used for creating more Flash-like applications.

At VSLive! Somasegar has announced that Team Foundation Server will ship in March 2006.

View the video of the keynote at VSLive! at http://www.ftponline.com/channels/net/reports/vslivesf/2006/soma/

Microsoft has released a draft version of the design guidelines for Windows Vista.

Surf to: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=FD380553-911E-4659-A085-4DD58AE4B9AE&displaylang=en

Microsoft has released a preview of it's tool for editing XAML. The codename used to be Sparkle, the production name will be Expression Interactive Designer.

Read more on Manuel Clement's blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/manodesign/Blog/cns!1pRsSVBaAuwgFSti-clSJ6Ng!384.entry

Tech Ed Europe has been moved back to the 6th of November and will be held in Barcelona instead of Amsterdam.

Great! Barcelona is a great place to visit.

I've been wondering whether the following would be possibe:

In .NET 1.1 create a class library with form A.
Compile and copy the assembly to a .NET 2.0 machine.
In .NET 2.0 create a form B that inherits from form A.
Run form A in .NET 2.0.

This works, no problems.

In .NET 1.1 create a winapp with form A which has a button that triggers the following code:

object temp = Activator.CreateObjectFrom( "Test.dll", "Test.FormB" ).Unwrap();
Form f = (Form) temp;
f.Show();

Compile and copy the assembly to a .NET 2.0 machine.
In .NET 2.0 create a class library with form B.
Compile the assembly.
Start the winapp, click the button, et voila, the .NET 1.1 assembly will start the .NET 2.0 form.

Also works without problems

Just giving all this a try has taken away quite a bit of doubt about whether this would work or not and means that in a GUI .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0 work together quite nicely.

My friend Arie Leeuwensteijn at Microsoft organizes the Dutch Developer Days. He's got the schedule all done and it looks pretty impressive. It's a two day event and it looks like it'll be big, because it is in the RAI in Amsterdam. This is the same location where TechEd Europe will be held this year.

View the schedule at: http://www.microsoft.com/netherlands/msdn/devdays/default.aspx

Arie has a blog too, have a look: http://blogs.microsoft.nl/blog_arie_leeuwesteijn/

Microsoft has released the January CTP of WinFX which includes a Go-Live license for WCF and WinWF. This release has no changes for WPF and a Go-Live license is not included for that technology. Download includes WinFX Runtime Components, WinFX SDK, Visual Studio Extensions for Workflow, and Visual Studio "Orcas" CTP Development tools for WinFX.

Info about this stuff on MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/winfx/getthebeta/golive/default.aspx

Or go straight to the download on MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getthebeta/default.aspx