Tech Tips, Tricks & Trivia

Is SQL Server CLR good or bad? Will CLR Integration in SQL Server 2005 benefit me?

To auto-complete variable names, use [CTRL+Space] to see matching list of names, then press Enter key to select. To "change case" of your code - CTRL + SHIFT + U To be reminded of the keyboard shortcut for any item on the toolbar when you hover over the icon, go to Tools/Customize and check the option for Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips. [ Sara 's VS.Net Tips & Tricks ]

Webdev guru Koch opines that DOM scripting, not CSS, is the correct tool for making behavioural usability enhancements as the DOM is more widely-supported than CSS2. He feels there is nothing like "bad browsers" and recommends these ten good practices for writing JavaScript in 2005 . 1. Make sure your JavaScript code is in balance with its environment 2. Create accessible JavaScript 3. Create usable JavaScript 4. Create easy applicable JavaScript 5. Create future-proof JavaScript 6. Know JavaScript's weaknesses, limitations and bugs 7. Often there is more than one good solution 8. Write your own scripts or reuse code from trusted places 9. Optimize your JavaScript code for performance 10. Use tools to optimize your work process

10 Immutable Laws of Security Law #1: If a bad guy can persuade you to run his program on your computer, it's not your computer anymore Law #2: If a bad guy can alter the operating system on your computer, it's not your computer anymore Law #3: If a bad guy has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore Law #4: If you allow a bad guy to upload programs to your website, it's not your website any more Law #5: Weak passwords trump strong security Law #6: A computer is only as secure as the administrator is trustworthy Law #7: Encrypted data is only as secure as the decryption key Law #8: An out of date virus scanner is only marginally better than no virus scanner at all Law #9: Absolute anonymity isn't practical, in real life or on the Web Law #10: Technology is not a panacea

The IEBlog highlights common pitfalls in building SSL/TLS websites Critical Mistake #1: Non-HTTPS Login pages (even if submitting to a HTTPS page). Critical Mistake #2: Mixing HTTP Content into a HTTPS page. As a end-user if you are prompted to download mixed content while accessing a secure website, always choose "No".

To make long SQL statements understandable and well formatted, run it in the SQL pane in Enterprise Manager and the statements are automatically formatted. The Show/Hide SQL pane icon is present in the toolbar that comes up when you open a table in SQL Server Enterprise Manager.

Use Belarc Advisor to audit a PC & find all installed software and hardware, including Microsoft Hotfixes

Use CSS with Minimal Tables

The Document Object Model (DOM) provides an interface that enables developers to generate HTML on the fly , after the page has loaded. Quirksmode contains comprehensive info on the DOM

Take the baby steps Try out a very practical example - Dig through several Ajax Working Examples Dissect 'Google Suggest' Update: More cool & practical examples - Slide show - S5 , AJAX-S Dictionary/Thesaraus

IRT.org javascript.faqts ( includes some great answers by the indefatigable Martin Honnen )

Unobtrusive Javascript - An excellent refresher course for the changing times and browsers. It starts with some basic advice: 1. Never, under any circumstances add Javascript directly to the document. 2. Javascript is an enhancement, not a secure functionality 3. Check the availability of an object before accessing it 4. Create Javascript, not browser specific dialects 5. Don't hijack other script's variables 6. Keep effects mouse independent

The OdeToCode guy lists the Best of .The NET 1.x Years Metadata Visual Studio Community .NET Class Libraries The Common Type System (CTS) ....and the Worst of .The NET 1.x Years Visual Basic.NET Managed C++ Tight Coupling of Visual Studio to IIS IDisposable Smart Clients

The name is shorthand for Asynchronous JavaScript + XML, and it represents a fundamental shift in what’s possible on the Web. Ajax incorporates: standards-based presentation using XHTML and CSS; dynamic display and interaction using the Document Object Model ; data interchange and manipulation using XML and XSLT ; asynchronous data retrieval using XMLHttpRequest ; and JavaScript binding everything together. All of the major products Google has introduced over the last year — Orkut , Gmail , the latest beta version of Google Groups , Google Suggest , and Google Maps — are Ajax applications. More^

Suckerfish Dropdowns - for a lightweight, cross-browser, multi-level dropdown menu