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Download .NET Framework 3.0 RC1

Coinciding with the release of Windows Vista RC1 this week, Microsoft has released (finally!) the Release Candidate for .NET Framework 3.0 also. One of the problems with .NET Framework 3.0 (a.k.a WinFX) has been the confusion associated with the plethora of different download bits and CTP versions. Here is the official page to download all pieces of .NET framework 3.0 needed to start developing WCF, WPF or WWF.


I have tried to simplify it below:



  1. At the bare minimum you need .NET Framework 3.0 Runtime components from here if you are in Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003. For Windows Vista RC1 these bits are automatically installed. [filename: dotnetfx3setup.msi]

  2. Visual Studio “Orcas” bits – this you need if you want to use Visual Studio 2005 to develop WPF (Avalon) or WCF (Indigo) applications. [filename: vsextwfx.msi]

  3. Visual Studio WWF Extensions – this you need if you want to use Visual Studio 2005 to develop WWF (Workflow) applications. [filename: Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation RC5(EN).exe]

  4. Windows SDK – Don’t get fooled by the small download for this, the full SDK is about 1GB in size. You get the entire SDK for .NET 3.0 plus previously released Windows SDK (Native code) components as well. The best way to download this will be to download the DVD image here. [filename: 6.0.5536.0.2.WindowsSDK_Vista_RC1.DVD.Rel.img]

Hope this helps a little bit!


 

September 8th, 2006 | Category: Microsoft | Leave a comment

Machine Backup – Imaging

When it comes to backup, I make it easy with my laptop. All my data files (Documents, Emails, PowerPoints, SourceCode, Music, Photos etc.) are stored in a seperate partition (It has grown into a compulsion for me over the years to ensure this partition is always D-Drive (D:\) and name it Data). So I normally XCopy (or Robocopy) the entire D-Drive to my external USB Drive or to my Office Network Share periodically.


But when it comes to the OS Partitions, it is not so easy. You cannot simply copy the OS partition files, you need to do what is called as “Imaging” or “Ghosting”. When you take an image of a partition or an entire hard-drive, a copy of it (sector by sector) is written into an image file, which you can restore back to get your partition/HDD back exactly as it was before. Though writing a program to do this is not technically so difficult especially if you can boot into DOS and you are able to write decent C & DOS Interrupt programs, but most of the commercial products in the name of simpler UI and running from within Windows GUI have made it very complex and pricey.


Anyways for several years the only popular product to do this was Norton Ghost (still available) – the number of machines/OS setup that Ghost has saved for me is not small. Nowadays, I prefer Acronis True Image. I recently bought a copy of their Home Edition and tried it in my laptop, it took less than 20 minutes to backup my C-Drive (Windows XP 20GB – 11GB used space) to my external USB Seagage 100GB drive. It did pretty a good compression to get the image file size down to about 5.68 GB.


If you are new to imaging check this Audio Visual Introduction at Acronis website to learn more about Disk Imaging.

September 8th, 2006 | Category: Tools | Leave a comment

XML Notepad

If you are one who is involved in working/creating/viewing a lot of XML files and XSLT transforms – you need something more than Notepad & IE. You need a professional XML Editor like Altova XMLSPY or Visual Studio 2005, but they can tend to be very expensive for simple XML tasks. Microsoft after 8 years has reintroduced a new version of its free XML Editor called “XML Notepad”. Give it a try.


References:



  1. Microsoft XML Team blog post about XML Notepad

  2. MSDN Documentation on XML Notepad

  3. Download XML Notepad Installation Package – Size: 3.29MB (Requires .NET Framework 2.0 Runtime)

September 8th, 2006 | Category: Tools | Leave a comment

Connect 2006

I am posting this from Connect 2006 event which was inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister for Tamilnadu Mr.Karunanidhi along with Hon’ble Central Cabinet Minister Mr.Dayanidhi Maran. Connect is happening in the city for several years and though it is not a spectacular extravaganza event; it does generate good industry interest. Today’s event was attended by industry stalwarts from TCS, Wipro, Cognizant and others. At Vishwak we had exhibited in Connect 2004, but this year they don’t have any exhibition floor and it is only a confence and networking setup.


CM inaugurated by a e-switch HP’s new outsourcing facility in Olympia Park, Guindy and he also proposed for a new upcoming IT Park “Tidel” in Coimbatore (Kovai). Kovai was also named a mode Tier-II for IT in the state and the CM assured the audience that all support including IT parks will be done to other Tier-II cities including Trichy, Madurai, Salem and Tirunelveli.


I personally see no reasons why Outsourcing can’t be done from Tier-II cities; It definitely is going to succeed and is going to be the trend. When IT Outsourcing can work across continents and thousands of miles why the work can’t move from Bangalore, Chennai to Kovai and Madurai?. All you need is availability of good people, power & connectivity. Out of this People are mobile (if you can give them good offers they can be made available now anywhere), Power & Infrastructure is where you need the local governments to help and have a vision, Connectivity will automatically follow where there is demand.


Being my home state, I wish the event all success


As a side note, Tamil Virtual University (TVU) Chairman Dr.V.C.Kuzhaindaiswamy today presented the strategic paper on alternate 16-bit Tamil Encoding to Hon’ble CM, which was discussed last week. 

September 8th, 2006 | Category: Events | Leave a comment