November 2007 Entries

SQL Server 2005 Best Practices: Reporting Services Table Rows with Alternative Colors

A very easy way to create reports with alternating background colors for each row in your table report.  Select the TableRow in the report's Table control.  In the expression for the TableRow's BackgroundColor property place the following: =iif(RowNumber(Nothing) Mod 2, "Gainsboro", "White") The last 2 parameters are the colors that will alternate for the data rows of the table in the report.

posted @ Sunday, November 25, 2007 1:11 AM | Feedback (0)

SQL Server 2005 Best Practices: Create your own Templates for Reporting Services Reports

The need to produce reports with a common starting design and format is key to any project involving clients and their reports.  I have been working on reports for over 10 years now.  This has not been the largest portion of my jobs through the years but it has been a very import one.  The key to any report project is not to recreate the mundane aspects of the reports for each but to use templates.  The use of templates is not a common task or knowledge for Microsoft's SQL Server Reporting Services.  Knowing how to save reports templates so...

posted @ Sunday, November 25, 2007 1:11 AM | Feedback (0)

Visual Studio Team System 2008 Observations

I spoke yesterday for the afternoon on two of the software development roles that Team System helps manage through the product.  The morning covered the Architect, Developer and Manager Roles and functionality in the product and I covered the Tester and Database professional later in the day.  There were 10 people at the .NET Technical Briefing for the event and all were developers for large companies here in the Grand Rapids market.  I discovered some interesting observations while the day progressed. First observation was the realization that some developers do nothing more than compile, run and check in their code...

posted @ Friday, November 16, 2007 5:11 AM | Feedback (0)

I am speaking 11/15/2007 at the NET Technology Briefing covering Visual Studio Team System

I am speaking this Thursday here in Grand Rapids covering Visual Studio Team System.  The focus of this 1 day seminar will be around Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System.  You’ll be provided with an overview of each role and the session will wrap up with a preview of Visual Studio 2008 (codename Orcas).  I will speaking on the red highlighted agenda topics. Invitation for event Agenda  9:00am – 9:45am     Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) / Team Foundation Server Overview  9:45am - 10:30am   VSTS Project Management and Collaboration Features10:30am - 10:45am    Break10:45am - 11:15am    VSTS Architect/Developer Features11:15am...

posted @ Monday, November 12, 2007 3:11 PM | Feedback (1)

I wish I learned this 20 years ago

We are all striving to be the best we can be in our lives.  We want to be the best spouse, son or daughter, parent and even software developer.  Sometimes that desire leads us down a road where we also strive for attention and glory at the expense of others.  I know I have been guilty of this in my life.  I am a competitive person.  I was not one when I was a teenager but I acquired the skill in college when I had to "compete" with other of equal caliber to myself.  In college, you learned that your...

posted @ Saturday, November 10, 2007 8:11 PM | Feedback (0)

My new role within INETA: Membership Mentor for Michigan and Ohio

I have been involved with INETA since I started the Lexington .NET User Group back in 2004.  I have found that INETA is filled with a lot of hard working people that volunteer a ton of time and energy to help out the developer community.  There was a announcement earlier in the year for open positions in a role called Membership Mentors.  These Mentors' "jobs" are to assist the user groups in certain region they are assigned to build membership and also help exchange ideas and best practices among the groups to foster stronger developer communities. I volunteered and earlier...

posted @ Friday, November 09, 2007 3:11 PM | Feedback (0)