Shahal’s Blog

Well, it’s been some time since I added a post, so here I’m back again.

This time I’d like to recommend a great project for getting Windows Live Contacts, which appear in your Live messenger and in your Live/Hotmail account.

The Windows Live Contacts API for .NET project, hides all the cumbersome code needed for accessing the REST APIs, and helps developers focus on CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete) operations on Live contacts by using simple C# .NET code.

I hope you’ll like it,

Shahal

Hi all,

I have put together a set of extensions I like using with my Visual Studio 2008.

Some extensions make life easier, while others improve productivity and some can even teach you a thing or two while programming

Well, here goes my list:

ReSharper

The obvious one and many claim is a must: ReSharper, please note that version 4.5 is the latest one released by JetBrains. It seems to work much faster and they claim it has lots of new functionality packed inside. I liked ReSharper 4.1 so I guess i’ll enjoy 4.5 even more.

This extension does most of the work you can think of (taken from their site) “It fully integrates with Visual Studio to intelligently and powerfully extend the functionality that is native to Visual Studio.”

What they claim is accurate, it helps coding, performing program time compilation, compiles and fixes errors as you type (eclipse also supports this notion in Java). This means that when you do build your project with Visual Studio, it will compile with no errors

This extension keeps on prompting for numerous fixes and enhancements while I code and is even fun to work with, it intelligently guesses your next word and suggests the best match.

The extension even has a set of plugins: Plugins for ReSharper

This extension comes with a price, which I am more than happy to pay.

Here’s an example of a screen shot in action:

GhostDoc

This extension is free and highly configurable.

It will make you commenting like mad in no time

You simply click ctrl+D or right click “Document this” and you get a smart comment for any class, method, enum or anything else. The comment is supported by a variety of tools including Visual Studio itself.

I like commenting enums with a short explanation and the value itself, this can help a lot later when you use that enum in code.

Another good idea might be creating custom return values for methods you write, so later you can automagically create great looking documentation with Codeplex’s Sandcastle and Sandcastle Help File Builder tools.

Taken from their site:

Power Commands

Another very cool extension designed to do exactly those things missing from Visual Studio. The best features I like and use are: (there are many other features, have a go, try using Power Commands)

Undo Close
This command reopens a closed document , returning the cursor to its last position.  To reopen the most recently closed document, point to the Edit menu, then click Undo Close.  Alternately, you can use the Ctrl+Shift+Z shortcut.

Collapse Projects
This command collapses a hierarchy in the solution explorer starting from the root selected node. It can be executed from three different places: solution, solution folders and project nodes respectively.

Open Containing Folder
This command opens a Windows Explorer window pointing to the physical path of a selected item. It can be executed from a project item node.

And my favorite, because there are always projects which you don’t need from the recent project list

Clear Recent Project List
This command clears the Visual Studio recent project list.

Well, this is the list, if you have any extensions you’d like to recommend, i’ll be more than happy to discuss them.

And now, for something completly different…

I like using iGoogle, Google’s custom home page. You can add almost anything you want with various Gadgets and themes, but I’d like to point out the simple option of adding a feed from any source in any language.

Click on “Add stuff »” then at the middle of the page on your left you’ll see “Add feed or gadget” link. Click there and paste your link to your favourite feed.

That’s it! You can now view you feed from any site on you custom home page, I like adding news feeds from a few site, limited to 5 items each.

See you at my next blog,

Shahal

Debugging FreeSWITCH in Visual Studio 2008 with native (C) and .NET managed (C#) at the same time

Since I’m a mobile developer, it seemed imperative that I must add support for accessing this blog from mobile devices connected to the internet.

So, from now on if you have a minute or two to spare and want to catch up with my blog, you can do it with your mobile device

You should use the same URL as you use for the full version.

I used a nice plugin called “MobilePress”

Blog you later,

Shahal

In my following blogs I will discuss some common (or not so common to others) dilemmas I have had at work, regarding what is the best thing (be it an OS, IDE or UI for mobile devices) to choose to achieve the best result.

When asked, what is the best “something”, most people will answer, well, it depends, what are the goals you would like to achieve and what are your means.

I will present my dilemmas and my solutions, and it seems that things are not black or white but sometimes may be quite colorful… 

And now, I can explain why I chose the title above for the post.

I think that it’s all about balance in life; Meaning you can’t have good without bad and while some would claim a certain path is a good path, this is probably the right path for them. Sometime you will walk on the same path as others, and sometimes you will have to create your own path.

To me, balance in life also means that when at work, be there 100% and when at home, dedicate 100% of yourself to being at home. Spending time with your family, having quality time with your spouse and of course doing what’s good for you (I think that every person can tell you what’s good for him/her) and this is exactly the sort of things I recommend you do (easier said then done ).

And now for something completely different…

When browsing the web with firefox I like using AutoPager, this extension is so cool! (see the text below as shown in the extension’s description)

So simple and yet very powerful, this really is a nice add on.

That’s it folks,

It’s good night 4 me.

Shahal.

Welcome to my newly created blog.

In this blog I will discuss new technologies, some of my thoughts about those new technologies and I will give you lots of hand-on about anything I can think of (Programming, but not only).

Additionaly, each blog will present you  that one new thing that makes life easier/more interesting/fun, pick one. (hey why not pick them all…)

So, see you @ my next blog, coming soon to an RSS near you

Shahal