What is required for true cross platform development using .NET? On one hand, not much; on the other hand, a great deal. Because Rotor, Pnet, Mono and (the Microsoft implementation of) .NET, are all based on the ECMA standard, getting a basic C# program running on all four platforms is typically just a matter of copying the .exe file to the machine and executing it (assuming a .NET framework is already on the machine). But what about remoting, serializing and deserializing classes, interoperability, using native code, and non-ECMA classes such as System.Data and System.Windows.Forms (SWF)? This book covers those questions in detail with good practical advice; but that is not the best part of this book.

This document describes an application currently being constructed with Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Office SharePoint Server 2007 (OSS) that will enable collaboration between cancer researchers called the C-ME project (Collaborative Molecular Modeling Environment). Office 2007 with Visual Studio Tools for Office v3.0 (VSTO) will be used to generate reports from the information stored in OSS. The C-ME project is being built for cancer researchers. Curing cancer is a complex and lengthy process, and the collaborative tools researchers need don't exist. This document describes the problems of collaboration faced by cancer researchers and the technical approaches being taken to bridge the gap.

It's been a few months since Visual Studio 2005 was released. In that time you've probably seen and read quite a bit about generics. Unfortunately all those articles and presentations can leave you with the impression that generics are useful only in the context of collections (List, Dictionary, Queue, and so on).

SQL Server 2005 has many new and improved features. So many, in fact, that it would be very difficult to cover them all thoroughly. Therefore, I've been concentrating on those features that I feel will have the most impact on developers. Because of this, I want to present two more new T-SQL features. They were left out of my first T-SQL article because of space limitations. However, I believe that interest in these capabilities has grown, and that they deserve some coverage here.

ComponentArt has released version 2006.1 of its next-generation 3D charting line: ComponentArt Charting for .NET. The release consists of WebChart for ASP.NET for web-based solutions, and WinChart for .NET for Windows Forms development, and the controls are available individually or together as a bundle. With the release of version 2006.1 the ComponentArt Charting line now supports the advanced features of .NET 2.0, ASP.NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005.

DETROIT--April 11, 2006--Compuware Corporation (NASDAQ: CPWR) today introduced the new version of its QACenter Enterprise Edition functional testing solution, Compuware TestPartner 5.4. This new release offers a tight functional testing integration with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System and support for the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. By enabling development and testing teams to access the same testing assets to resolve errors more quickly, Compuware TestPartner improves communication and collaboration, allowing IT organizations to deliver high-quality applications more cost effectively.

There is a lot of commotion and hope around Software Factories in the community today, which was originally sparked by the Software Factories book of Jack Greenfield and Keith Short. The promise is that Software Factories will streamline and automate software development to become more efficient and produce higher quality software. However, at the same time there is a lot of confusion about what Software Factories really are and how to implement them.

As I listened to Bill Gates speak at the Office Developer's Conference in Redmond last week, I couldn't help but think how far Microsoft has come in terms of developer access to the Office Suite of products and how the Smart Client Revolution was in full force.

Microsoft continues to battle with--and be fined by--European Union officials over the basic issue of antitrust. Redmond, having long vanquished U.S. government efforts to change its ways, has not yet been able to do the same in Europe. And the latest wrinkle includes one of the funniest jokes ever.

I'm the 'tech chair' of SYS-CON's 10th annual SOA and WebServices conference that will take place on June 5-6 in New York City. Last week I've invited Joel Spolsky to make a keynote speech at this event. Guess what, Joel has accepted my invitation! If you have a chance to attend this talk, you won't regret it. Joel is one of the most respected people in the software industry. He is a brilliant writer and speaker. Try not to miss this opportunity.

IBM has opened a new global delivery center in Shanghai, China, to address the growing global demand for the delivery of application services. The center will offer IT services in English, Japanese, Mandarin, and German, to clients from Japan, Europe and North America.

Re-invent has launched Web Services Enhancements (WSE) 3.0 for Microsoft .NET. It is an add-on to Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 that enables developers to build secure Web services based on the latest Web services protocol specifications.

Thermo Electron, provider of analytical instruments and informatics for the food and beverage industry is about to unveil the latest upgrades to its processing monitor equipment in Europe.The US-based company says the upgrades are in response to manufacturers demands for increasingly sophisticated equipment that can measure every aspect of processing, particularly in the research and development stages.

BEA Systems Inc. has extended its vision of an integrated suite for service-oriented architecture (SOA) with its new AquaLogic Data Services Platform 2.1 (ALDSP).ALDSP 2.1 is designed to help application developers and SOA architects automate the process of service-enabling their data to build composite applications such as Web applications and portals.

Blogger John C. Dvorak has summarized recent coverage and angles relating to an alleged uproar within Microsoft over the most recent delay of the Windows Vista (formerly Longhorn) operating system. This uproar has many within Microsoft calling for the ouster of company icon and CEO Steve Ballmer.

Microsoft Australia and the ACT Government have launched Canberra.NET, an ICT development initiative. Canberra.NET will promote the ACT as a centre of excellence for web services using the Microsoft .NET platform and help local software developers market their intellectual property to customers throughout Australia and internationally.

Supply chain solutions provider, Manhattan Associates has announced enhancements to its Integrated Logistics Solutions, built on Microsoft .NET. This comprehensive solution now includes several other components of Manhattan Associates' supply chain execution solutions on the Microsoft .NET architecture. This expansion improves usability, scalability and flexibility for customers across key industries. Manhattan Associates' .NET solutions are also sold by the Microsoft Business Solutions channel network under the brand 'Supply Chain Execution for Microsoft Dynamics.'

SourceCode Technology Holdings, Inc., creator of K2.net the business process management (BPM) software for Microsoft .NET, has announced its support of Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 through the release of K2.net 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3). This represents SourceCode's continued commitment to help customers easily automate and manage business processes while unlocking greater value from their latest Microsoft investments.

BGI International, a provider of logistics and dock scheduling software, announces the introduction of its highly anticipated scheduling solution built on the .NET framework. SmartDock .NET leverages the ease-of-use of BGI's award-winning SmartDock Scheduling System with the Web savvy integration capabilities of Microsoft's .NET platform.

gomembers has made its newest release of Q, Version 1.6, available. Q, gomembers' newest Association Management System (AMS) utilizing Microsoft's .NET technology, was initially released in March of 2004. Q will bring organizations into the 21st century, with full features that provide complete back office, front office and e-commerce processing in one integrated solution.

'People need to be fired and moved out of Microsoft today,' says an anonymous Microsoft staffer in a blog published last week. 'Where's the freakin' accountability?' The unnamed blogger - who signs himself just 'Who da'Punk' - bemoans the company's breach of its promise that Windows Vista would be out in 2006.

Layer 7 Technologies has announced that it has successfully demonstrated Web services security interoperability with Microsoft's Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), formerly codenamed 'Indigo.' WCF extends Microsoft's .NET Framework to enable developers to build secure, reliable, and interoperable Web services.

The 1.1.13 version of Mono has also been released. This version will be shipped with Novel/Suse Enterprise products. It also serves as a feature freeze point for the upcoming major 1.2 release, with the exception of System.Windows.Forms (SWF) and libgdiplus, which are still being developed. The 1.1.13 branch will also receive back-ports of all bug fixes until it is replaced with the 1.2 version. 1.1.13 is mostly bug fixes (including hundreds in the SWF namespace). The main additions to this release are a completed 64 bit S390 port, an implementation of the new 2.0 System.Threading primitives, updates to System.Net.Mail and System.Net.Mime, and typed data returns for Sqlite 3. One major enhancement is the inclusion of a printing framework for SWF. This will not be really usable until Cairo is updated, but it is still a milestone I have been looking forward to seeing. More than 70 people worked on this release.

Chalk Media Corp. has announced that it has achieved Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program, with a recognized competency as an Independent Software Vendor. The Microsoft ISV/Software Solutions Competency recognizes the skill and focus technology partners bring to a particular solution set.

BEA Systems has announced that the company has extended its vision of an integrated suite for service-oriented architecture (SOA) with its new AquaLogic Data Services Platform 2.1 (ALDSP). ALDSP 2.1 is designed to help application developers and SOA architects automate the process of service-enabling their data.

pVelocity Inc., a developer of software for profit optimization, has announced that it has released Version 7.4 of their pVelocity solution suite. Version 7.4 positions pVelocity at the leading edge of technology to meet their plans for 'Powered by SAP NetWeaver' certification, as well as supporting their previously announced Certified status in the Microsoft Partner Program.

The Carbon Project has released a gallery of free Geospatial Session Files (GSFs) with location content for Queensland, Australia, a region just impacted by Cyclone Larry, a Category 5 storm packing 180 mph winds.

Microsoft outlines its vision for extending IP communications capabilities throughout Windows Live services to support relationship-centric communication via voice and video for consumers worldwide at the Spring 2006 VON Conference & Expo. Spring VON Expo is a Global Industry event for VoIP and IP Communications, where more than 300 companies have showcased their voice-data communications technology and products.

Equifax Inc. has introduced APPRO Business, a Web-based loan origination system for business lenders. Built on Microsoft .NET architecture, the solution brings powerful automated loan decisioning capabilities to a broad market, ranging from sophisticated commercial and small business lenders to credit unions and other financial institutions.

Jenzabar has released significant functional enhancements to its most widely adopted Constituent Relationship Modules (CRMs). These modules are delivered to institutional communities via Jenzabar's Internet Campus Solution (JICS) Web portal.

RedTail Solutions has announced that it has achieved Microsoft Certified Partner status through Microsoft's ISV Software Competency Program. The company also announced the availability of its outsourced EDI service integrated directly into Microsoft Dynamics GP's business accounting solution.

Web design and integration expert Siteworx announced that it has selected Ektron's CMS400.NET web content management system for clients with .NET applications to extend the company's technology base.

SourceCode has announced plans to showcase both the current and future release of K2.net at the second annual Microsoft Office System Developers Conference in Redmond, WA this week. Developers from around the world are expected to attend this premier, invitation-only Microsoft Office system event keynoted by Bill Gates and Kurt DelBene.

The authors of this book, Edd Dumbill and Niel Bornstein, are well known in both the Linux and .NET communities, and are well suited to write a book on the Mono project. Edd Dumbill also coauthored Linux Unwired and XML-RPC, and is an Editor at Large for O'Reilly books. Niel Bornstein also wrote .NET and XML, and is now a consultant for Novell in the Linux and open source practice group.

SYSPRO has announced SYSPRO 6.0, Issue 010, the newest release of SYSPRO Enterprise Software. The new release offers across-the-board enhancements that provide deeper functionality in all areas of the core SYSPRO product - Finance, Distribution and Manufacturing. In addition, this latest release introduces new modules as well as new customization capabilities that empower users to tailor the software to their individual requirements, thereby maximizing utilization and interaction to achieve even greater levels of business efficiency.

Map Suite from ThinkGeo is a full featured mapping component that makes it easy for any Microsoft .NET Developer to add mapping functionality to a Microsoft .NET app quickly and efficiently. Using the intuitive object model, even developers inexperienced in GIS can have fully functional maps working in minutes.Map Suite is a powerful set of components enabling developers to build compelling desktop mapping applications.

Gartner's prediction and Bill Gates' reservations may be coming to fruition after all, as it now appears that the operating system formerly known as Longhorn may, in fact, not be available to most users in 2006.

Most organizations today have internal applications that span across different systems, networks, and technologies. These applications would provide more value to customers if only the data that they manage were exposed. In the past, this was often difficult due to the inability of systems to communicate with one other. However with Web service standards in place for several years now, services are finally gaining acceptance throughout the industry. Consequently, service-oriented architectures (SOAs) have finally come to fruition as companies start to rethink how they build enterprise applications.

If you work in a .NET environment you have probably come across Base64 encoded data. For example, Base64 encoding is used in ASP.NET for a Web application's ViewState value, as shown in Figure 1. Base64 encoding is also used to transmit binary data over e-mail. However, if you are like most of my colleagues (and me until recently) you do not have a thorough understanding of precisely what Base64 encoding is and when Base64 encoding should be used. In the this article I will explain exactly what Base64 encoding is, show you how to use the two primary .NET Framework methods that support Base64 encoding and decoding, and present a lightweight, custom C# implementation of Base64 encoding and decoding methods. This article assumes you are a .NET developer, tester, or manager and have intermediate level C# coding skill. After reading the article you'll have a solid grasp of Base64 encoding as well as the ability to write your own custom encoding methods. I think you'll find the ability to use Base64 encoded data is a valuable addition to your skill set.

Web sites are based on a client-server model. While the client (usually a browser) can use client-side script such as JavaScript to do simple tweaking of existing data, getting new data requires a request to the server. The server does the heavy processing and makes a response back, which redraws the entire Web page. Most development required these interactions to be atomic so that each request to the server returns a completely new page.