Author Archive

This post Auto-scaling in Azure shows a proof of concept for auto-scaling an Azure Solution and the different options that you have for implementing a similar solution.

At the end, the author provides a PowerShell example using the Windows Azure Service Management CmdLets

Add-PSSnapin AzureManagementToolsSnapIn            

Get-HostedService $serviceName -Certificate $cert -SubscriptionId $subId |
Get-Deployment -Slot Production |
Set-DeploymentConfiguration `
  {$_.RolesConfiguration[$roleName].InstancesCount+=1}
            

A portable Microsoft Surface? No need to touch – just give it a wave!

Will Groovy++ spell the end of Scala?

As much as we all "try to be friends", the successor to Java (and there clearly needs to be one) "battle" continues

via blue train software

Groovy++ adds to Groovy static typing with very little in terms of trade off (meta programming)

• Allowing mixing of static and dynamic code in the same application.
• Same speed as Java – sometimes faster, sometimes slower depending on how the problem is expressed.
• Groovy++ is really Java ++ and is thus a natural and easy path for the millions of Java programmers.
 Read more...

Rockford Lhotka has a three part series here discussing the benefits and usage of the SQL Server Modeling technologies in the context of his CSLA .NET framework. It is a framework for building the business logic layer in your applications.

He demonstrates modeling, a DSL (domain specific language), code savings, reduced testing burden, and consistency of the user experience.

Karl Prosser posts a PowerShell script quick and dirty new custom object as a way to create PowerShell objects on the fly. I’ve come across the need for this and posted an approach PowerShell Function Factory after reading up on Managing Records in Python.

Yet Another Approach To Building Custom Objects

This function peels off two items at a time placing them in $key and $value, $list gets the remainder (it has two fewer items now). Then key/value pair is added to the $Properties hash table. The while loop continues until $list is empty.  Read more...

Introducing WCF WebHttp Services in .NET 4

Have your used WCF 3.5 or the WCF REST Starter Kit to build non-SOAP services?

WCF WebHttp Services is the vehicle that brings these technologies forward to .NET 4.

New to WCF or have only used WCF for building SOAP-based services, this series of blog posts will bring you up to speed quickly.z

9-Year-Old is World’s Youngest Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

via Twitterville

Techniques, Tools, Languages, and Platforms.

What Are the Trends in Technology Today?

Andy Bryant has some ActionScript Puzzlers over here. So, let’s try them in PowerShell.

So the question is what does the call to loopy() return?

The answer is BEE,BOP,BOP,BOO. The extra BOP is the same result as the ActionScript and the same reason:

Although it appears that caps is defined only within the for loop, it is actually defined at the scope of the function. Therefore for the second null in the array, caps was not overwritten, but instead retained its value from the previous iteration of the loop.

 Read more...

Charles Fleischer delivers a hysterical send-up of a time-honored TED theme: the map. Geometry, numbers, charts and stamp art also factor in (somehow), as he weaves together a unique theory of everything called "Moleeds."

Rob Caron

Molecular Biology DNA Visualizer

It is a new framework and guidance package that helps you quickly build enterprise WPF applications. They have seen a dramatic improvement in productivity, ability to leverage entry level developers, and a massive reduction in development costs. The framework helps your developers follow the right path and do the right thing.

An Overview of MVC4WPF – Part 1 of 3

via Bill Sempf

O’Reilly Webcast: PowerShell for the SQL Server DBA

Useful for developers working with SQL Server too.

It’s been making the rounds how to set this up as a folder.

This neat little admin feature for Windows 7 called ‘Godmode’ is definitely worth setting up and very easy to complete. Allowing you to see all system control panels in one place for easy access.

Lee Holmes, author of Windows Powershell Cookbook, tweeted this function. Put it in your profile for instant access.

Function Godmode { Start 'shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}' }

More HERE.

I had fun doing these PowerShell posts.

Available for pre-order. The author, Sriram Krishnan, has a blog. Plus he has posted Erlang and Python bindings for the Windows Azure storage API.

It’s not often that you get to spearhead the creation of a major new Microsoft API and it feels great to have seen this through from beginning to end

Bart De Smet is doing a series on LINQ with System.Interactive.

• The Ultimate Imperative
• Exceptional Exception Handling
• Sequences under construction

In his post, Sequences under construction, I liked that he gives a little LISP  history for cons, car and cdr (the latter two coming from IBM machine terminology). Plus he walks through the formulation for Kleisli triple, type construction, unit function and binding operation. Check out the link Bart gives on The Marvels of Monads by Wes Dyer, who has a major hand in creating System.Interactive.

Lot’s to learn and Bart does a great job in making it more approachable.  Read more...

James Brundage posted a quick Christmas tree written in WPK (the WPF PowerShell Kit). Check out his code.

this script has tons of Christmas goodies

Adding Ornaments

Using the WPF Ellipse and bitmap effect gives the following. I need to investigate how to get the resized behavior to work again.

   Read more...