Little Known, Invaluable Methods and Properties in the .NET Framework Base Class Library   25 May 2005 00:00 GMT

There was a simpler time in history when one could know all intricacies in their given field. An experienced cobbler in yesteryear could feasibly know all there is to cobbling with the materials they had available. With the depth and breadth of knowledge today, however, such mastery of any given topic is virtually impossible, requiring people to tightly focus in on particular aspects of a given field. For example, if you are reading this article you are likely a Web developer using Microsoft's Web technologies. From a big picture view that encompasses the totality of the field of computer science, you are working in a very specific niche.

Even within this particular, focused realm of ASP.NET development, the breadth and depth of tools available are still astounding and overwhelming. I've used Visual Studio .NET countless times over the years and still am finding out new tips and tricks. (See Getting the Most Out of Visual Studio .NET for a list of some of my favorite tips and productivity enhancements!) Additionally, the .NET Framework Base Class Library (BCL) contains a slew of useful methods that, I've found, are beneath the radar for most ASP.NET developers.

This article provides a listing of those .NET Framework BCL methods and properties that are quite handy but not well-known. I'd like this article to be a work in progress, so if you know of any .NET Framework methods or properties you consider not in every ASP.NET developer's lexicon, but should be, let me know! Each week I plan to add additional useful methods and properties focused in a particular area. This week's tips and tricks focus on working with file paths. Read on to learn more!
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Source: 4GuysFromRolla

MultiView and View Controls in ASP.NET 2.0   25 May 2005 00:00 GMT
In ASP.NET 1.x, developers often used Panel controls to hide or show a grouping of other web controls and content. In ASP.NET 2.x, coding time is reduced with the new MultiView and View controls.
Source: AspAlliance

Using CodeDOM Code Generation to Implement Repetitive Patterns   24 May 2005 18:50 GMT
Implementing simple patterns is often boring, time-consuming, and error-prone—just because they're so simple. But by using code generation you can prevent a lot of the drudgery.
Source: DevX

Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 and 2.0 (Beta) Compatibility   24 May 2005 07:00 GMT
The Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 builds on the success of the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0 and 1.1. This document discusses application compatibility scenarios between the released Framework and the 2.0 Beta and provides testing recommendations.
Source: MSDN

Enabling Data Source Control Caching Increases Performance   24 May 2005 03:22 GMT
To achieve faster performance, enable the caching property in your database-driven data source control.
Source: DevX

Extending the GridView's Sorting Capabilities   24 May 2005 00:00 GMT
This article examines and extends the "no code needed" sorting capabilities of the GridView server control shipped with ASP.NET version 2.0.
Source: AspAlliance

Building Web Parts, Part 1   23 May 2005 04:00 GMT
Web sites today contain a wealth of information; so much that a poorly designed site can easily overwhelm users. To better help users cope, portal web sites today (such as MSN) often organize their data into discrete units that support a degree of personalization. In this first of three articles, Wei-Meng Lee discusses how to use Web Parts for user customization in your ASP.NET 2.0 web sites.
Source: O'Reilly

Create an XML File via PL/SQL   23 May 2005 00:00 GMT
If you need a quick and simple method of generating an XML file from your Oracle database, then PL/SQL is one option that you could take.
Source: AspAlliance

Using StringBuilder in .NET   18 May 2005 21:58 GMT
This code demonstrates an easy way to use StringBuilder in both C# and VB.NET.
Source: DevX

More On Why I Don't Use DataSets in My ASP.NET Applications   18 May 2005 00:00 GMT

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article here on 4Guys titled Why I Don't Use DataSets in My ASP.NET Applications. At the end of that particular article I provided a link to a blog entry of mine where a small discussion on this topic had already started. As of May 16th, 2005, that blog entry has racked up over sixty comments from readers, ranging from gung-ho agreement to cogent arguments against my thesis. In any event, I thought it would be worthwhile to highlight some of the more eloquent feedback along with correcting some misconceptions found in the feedback. Read on to learn more!
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Source: 4GuysFromRolla