Want more info on VFP DevCon 2004?

Do you feel enough of VFP DevCon 2004 details shared by Andrew MacNeill? Do you want more? Wednesday night DEVCON report is online, with pictures, at http://www.universalthread.com/Conferences/DevCon/2004/ by David Stevenson.

First hand information of VFP DevCon Keynote 2004

Thank you Ted Roche for sharing links of first hand information of VFP DevCon Keynote 2004. Also, thank you very much Andrew MacNeill for posting such a informative and excellent VFP DevCon Keynote 2004 summaries.

• DevCon 2004 Keynote with the Fox Team Part 1
  
• Calvin VFP Keynote Part 2
  
• YAG - VFP Keynote SQL Demos
  
• Randy Brown - Keynote Demos
  
• VFP 9 Keynote - Reporting Features
  
• DevCon Keynote Cleanup

Some interesting "demos" I feel excited of:

1. BindEvent - Ability to track event like preventing the user from shutting down the computer dynamically, new media is inserted and also when a file changes.
2. Data Explorer - Drag and drop from data explorer onto program and get code generated to connect to it.
3. Randy's new Fox Media Player which played music, videos and more, using the new shape and PolyPoints capabilities to create its own "player effects". Not only a player, it actually took streamed video and added it to the Blog data and then displayed it directly.

Ya, I am still waiting for any news regarding upcoming version of VFP. I didn't mean VFP9, but after. Or, no after? Something from Ken :

User can type in "my" and it shows a submenu of applications, options and other details.
My User Identity - and it automatically replaces that text with SYS(0)

A content list of blocked code that could be used to help write new code. You choose the activity (like Browsing an XML column) and it automatically puts in the code. This is very similar to Intellisense but it makes the writing of the code much faster.

One more, Calling DotNet Object within VFP is back!

[Source : Andrew MacNeill's reports from DevCon]

Is Your Application Web-Enabled?

Today, I read a message in UT forum that ask about "What is Web-Enabled?". I think most of us have seen/heard of the word "Web Enabled" for quite along time but may be not really understand or clear about it.

So, again, what is Web Enabled Application? Is it same as Web Based Application? Answer is No. Then what are the differences?

Before this, I thought that Web based application is app developed using ASP, ASP.NET, Java Applet which involve HTML tag, which only accessed via Web Browser; Web Enabled application, on the other hands, able to send/receive data over internet. For instance, send/receive emails, transmitte data from/to HQ via FTP, calling Web Services to get latest stock share info and etc within tradisional business applications (ex. desktop Payroll System).

After I read this article by Kathleen S. Carr, provided by Al Doman, I think I got to change my mind.

From the article,

Web-based applications are built from the ground up to run over the Web. Web-enabled applications involve adding a Web interface to traditional applications that may have been created even before there was a Web.

So, I have couple of questions here:

1. If I am using .NET framework to build my application using n-tier architecture. The UI layer is built using ASP.NET for web and also Windows Form for desktop. Is it a Web Based or Web Enabled application?
2. Almost same question as Q1, Does every application developed using n-tier architecture, would be Web Enabled application? Since, n-tier allows use port our application to other UI easily, doesn't matter what programming langauge is used.
   
3. What are the *terms* should be used for applications that able to send/receive emails, transmitte data from/to HQ data via FTP or calling Web Services from other site? Can we call them Email Enabled, FTP Enabled or Web Services Enabled application?

Any ideas?

Free VFP9 articles from FoxPro Advisor

I've found that FoxPro Advisor published its previous VFP9 articles online. The most importantly, it is available for EVERYBODY! (including non-subsciber)

.NET Samples for VFP Developers

Esparta Palma (UT Member) found an intersting post at http://www.osnews.com/ - .NET Sample for VFP Developers. Lets click the link and see what other non-VFP developers talk about VFP.

Sample Download

CoDe Focus VFP 9 is online

Check out CoDe Focus VFP9 issue now. It is FREE! You could read it online, order paper copy or download it.

It provides more comprehensive details of VFP9 enhancements compare to others. Some of them are not yet published in other magazines such as FoxTalk, Foxro Advisor and UT Magazine. On the other hands, enhancements that already published by other magazines does not discussed in detail either.

Till now, I haven't see any articles talk about converting report to custom format such PDF, Word Document and etc using VFP9. :(

More on TechEd 2004

More photos and blogs posted by TechEd 2004 speakers

Malek Kemmou

1. KL PhotoBlog
2. "GBers Club" at an Imbi Mall

TechEd 2004 Photo

Here is some photos taken by MIND member during TechEd 2004 event. Some additional info of topics covered in TechEd could be found here.

CoDe Magazine highlights Visual FoxPro 9.0

CoDe Magazine's article Walking on Cloud 9.0 of Visual FoxPro.

This article doesn't give us any suprises. In fact, all of them have been published in previous VFP Monthly Letter.

[Source : Alex Feldstein]

Your program got error!

While end user report bug to us, they would only say "Got Error". However they never tell what is the error message prompted until you ask. So funny!

Ring ring ...

End User	: Sir, the program got error !
Technical Support	: What is the error?
End User	: Two days ago, my server hang. After that I restart the server and run xxx report. Then it stop there and give me an error.
Technical Support	: Then what is the error message about?
End User	: You want the error messages? Ok, it prompted bla bla bla ....

TechEd 2004

I have attended TechEd 2004 last week. It is held at The Palace of Golden Horse Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. It is the largest event in Malaysia which attract 1500 attendees. According to MS, 50% of attendees came from countries outside of Malaysia. It is really a great news! However, I feel dissapointed with this event.

Conference Room
The keynote conference room is resided at left side of the hotel. I got to walk along a long, narrow and swallon corridor. Then turn left, right, up, and ... finally that is. After the kenote session, I proceed to other room for breakout session. My God!! These breakout sessions are held at the other side of building. Again, I got to turned left and right, go up and down ... I think I would get lost if I am alone there . Isn't that a map? Yes, there are. However, it doesn't help (at least for me). It never show whether that is upstair or downstair plan, and even snapshot of "You are here" also not show properly. May be the building is designed as hotel, therefore, if compare with PWTC, PWTC is much more better with wider, better direction and easier for us to go for other room.

Exhibition Hall
One of my favourite place to visit during TechEd is exhibition hall. It is resided beside Lunch Mall, inside a temporary "house" on grass. I opened the door and walked into it. It reminded me the situation of market on sunday. The corridor between exhibitor store, already very narrow, but everybody was still standing there asking about products, playing games and etc. I worked very hard only able to walk "thru" it.

Lunch
The meal still OK. That is nothing special either. Chicken, fish, curry ... 3 meats 1 vegetable. Why doesn't every MS event order other meal???? Don't you feel that every MS event also provide the same food?

Session
TechEd Developer sessions for this year doesn't really impress me. Most of the topics are not new and could be found from Internet. There are just not what I expected. Therefore, I attended most of Architecture track.

Transport
Going to The Palace of Golden Horse is not a problem. I could take LRT and taxi easily. However, going home on day 1 is terrible experience for me. Tell you what, that is no bus station nearby. Cap? Sorry, it is difficult to get any *empty* one. I walked along the road and couln't get any cap. After an hour plus, I finally get one. Thank God! It really tired me.

I tried to call taxi from hotel on day 2, but it cost more. I don't it is worth to. The taxi driver charge me 20% more. Therefore I decided to wait hotel resort bus. The bad thing is, the bus only send us to nearer shopping fair. I still need to walk for 15-20 minutes to nearest KTM station. In other words, it is not any easy way to back home unless you pay more or drive.

I am wondering why MS choise this hotel, which difficult to get public transport. Is MS expecting every delegate got their own car? I think I got to call cap tomorrow, otherwise I got to overnight there.

It is worst MS event I ever attend!

Creating A Language

Do you interested to know how to create a programming langauge?

Fabio Fernandes has an article talk about how to create a general purpose programming language - Creating A Langauge. It is only part one which talk about Front End - Language Grammer and etc.

Source Control HOWTO

I have been trying to do source control for my company's source code for a year. I tried tools like SourceSafe and CVS, learned how to use it, get to use the habit of checkin/out source code file before/after coding.

During the learning curve, I faced alot of problems. Most of them are not how to use this tools, but how to apply them. In other words, how to source control?

Eric Sink (SourceGear and SourceOffSite) is writting articles Source Control HOWTO. These articles are not talking about how to use any specific SCM tool, but about do source control more effecitively and more practical in real-world.

Highly recommended for anyone new to source control. Thank you Eric.

[Source : Andrew MacNeill]

Dive into Python

Dive Into Python is a Python book for experienced programmers. You can buy a printed copy, read it online, or download it in a variety of formats. It is also available in multiple languages.

[Source: Garrett Fitzgerald's Blog]

Problem of mySQL in WinXP SP2 Solved

Run mySQL\bin\WinMySQLAdmin.exe manually once will solve the problem.

Why does it work in WinXP SP1 and Win2003 server without run WinMySQLAdmin.exe?
What is the trick WinMySQLAdmin.exe does?

Problem of mySQL in WinXP SP2

I installed mySQL database server in my WinXP SP2 machine. It was installed successfully. It could be started using command line mysqld -u root --console. However, It failed to be launched as Windows Services. I get error "Process Teminated Unexpected!". I tried to shutdown it by mysqld -u root shutdown, unblock it from WinXP Security Center but not help.

Anybody has any suggestions? I didn't get any problem to install mySQL in WinXPSP1 and Win2003 server.

VFP September, 2004 Letter

VFP Sept Letter is online. Check out what FoxTeam members feel about VFP9.

Linux makes MS Windows better

Huh? Do you think it sound crazy? How would Linux help MS Windows?

Check out here for more details.

Visual FoxPro 9.0 report system whitepapers

Ken Levy has posted two new VFP9 Report System whitepapers which authored by Cathy Pountney to MSDN online library. This is the first two VFP9 related whitepapers posted to MSDN since VFP Beta is released.