Developer Pills : Beta

Volta announced, GWT Architecture and Script#

Adel Khalil — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:49:44 GMT

Microsoft Live Labs announce the new web coming technology Volta, which is a set of developer tools that in plain English work as MSIL re-compiler to cross-browser compliant JavaScript .

The Volta technology preview is a developer toolset that enables you to build multi-tier web applications by applying familiar techniques and patterns. First, design and build your application as a .NET client application, then assign the portions of the application to run on the server and the client tiers late in the development process. The compiler creates cross-browser JavaScript for the client tier, web services for the server tier, and communication, serialization, synchronization, security, and other boilerplate code to tie the tiers together.

Volta simply allow you to use your existing C#/VB.NET/IronPython or any other .NET language to write code that you can control it's execution side Server/Client by decorating the Class with attribute and the Volta post-compiler take care of spitting JavaScript code.

if you are looking for highly optimized JavaScript code i don't think this is for you. you can look for alternatives like Nikhil Kothari's Script# or Google Web Toolkit.

Erik Meijer Volta Architect explains the difference between Volta and GWT

From an architectural point of view, Volta facilitates a many-to-many mapping between programming languages and execution environments by leveraging the Common Intermediate Language as defined by ISO/IEC 23271:2006. The idea of using a common intermediate language to translate M source languages into N target languages dates back as far as 1958 with UNCOL (see also this). You can use any .NET language to write your application and compile it to a .NET assembly using an unmodified compiler. Volta then post-processes the generated MSIL inside the assembly based on declarative annotations in the code by automatically inserting all the boilerplate code necessary for running the application across multiple tiers and making asynchronous invocations. Finally, you deploy the modified assembly on any target execution environment that is capable of executing MSIL.

Live Labs summarize Volta:

Language-independence. Write Volta code in any language that compiles into MSIL. For example, C#, VB, IronPython, etc.
Leverage the entire .NET toolchain. Use libraries; the IDE, Intellisense, auto-complete, snippets; FxCop; profiler; class browser; ILDASM; and so on.
Low entry barrier. Reduce your learning burden; use “only the languages in the room.”
Brown-field applicability. Volta-enable existing applications for the cloud.
Beyond 2 tiers. Refactor to as many tiers as you need using exactly the same mechanisms recursively applied.

Download Volta CTP

Visual Studio 2008, .NET Framework 3.5

Adel Khalil — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:09:00 GMT

Hi folks, earlier Microsoft has announced that Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 and .NET Framework 3.5 Beta 2 are available for download, get the latest bits here...

Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2

.NET Framework 3.5

If you experiance problems with the download let Brad Abrams help you.

Acropolis is all over, .NET is the second greatest thing Microsoft done!

Adel Khalil — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:38:00 GMT

Okay it's been all over, i'm like frekin busy these days but couldn't resist Acropolis which is the next Microsoft hit on the WPF space, and the support for Windows Forms wil be awesome.

In my soul opinion .NET was one of the best project Microsoft have done, as it's behid the great stream of ideas came out from Microsoft lately.

Check it out now ... http://windowsclient.net and here http://blog.donburnett.com/2007/06/enterprise-wpf-applications-come-of.html .

My new full time browser Maxthon

Adel Khalil — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:42:00 GMT

Always thought that if someone combined IE engine and the reach interface and feartures of Firefox that will be great.. so i looked everyware.. for this kind of software.. i tried Avant Browser didn't do it for me.. nor Opera.

I even thought about writing my own browser.. it should be very easy.

but couple of weeks ago i found about Maxthon which was great, neat, great interface... and much more.. very flixable and customizable, many programmable features as well.

I tried it those couple of weeks and i didn't have to open IE or FF ever since.

now go guys try the Maxthon2 Beta4 that what i'm using now.

Orcas March CTP is out!

Adel Khalil — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 04:07:02 GMT

finally the orcas CTP is out... i guess the second release will be in beta.. anyway you can get it from here http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=cf76fcba-07af-47ac-8822-4ad346210670&DisplayLang=en

Orcas CTP delayed to March

Adel Khalil — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:18:59 GMT

Theres words around the internet that Orcas CTP delayed to March!

http://linqinaction.net/blogs/main/archive/2007/02/02/orcas-february-ctp-delayed-to-march.aspx