• .MDB - Access Database
• .MDE - Protected Access Database

Store the image outside of your MDB Access database. There are many benefits to storing it outside of Access including the following:

• More easily work with all the images at once.
• avoid the overhead of an OLE server
• decrease the size of your MDB file
• easily reuse images with other development tools such as a website, VB, VS.Net, etc.
• Metadata is preserved

If the analyst is qualified sure, but if they're not, don't push it. Many times a resource was made the analyst not because they are a great analyst but because they have great people skills, know the domain well, and can document process well. Under that scenario, I prefer a programmer analyst work with the business analyst to identify entities and attributes. If the analyst is not good at documenting process, find a new analyst.

In PSDP, we overcome this problem by creating the database and GUI prototype during the requirements phase. By forcing the creation of the database while discovering what the client wants, you force the identifying of entitities and attributes.

In UML, sometimes analysts create class diagrams to create the database. The Data Model is a much better choice.

An example of using ASP's Response.Write and creating functions.

Function IsFileExists(AFileName)
 Dim objFSO
 Dim TempFileName
 
 TempFileName = Server.MapPath(TempFileName)

 Set objFSO = Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    
 If (objFSO.FileExists( TempFileName ) = True)  Then
  IsFileExists = True
 Else
  IsFileExists = False
 End If
  
 Set objFSO = Nothing
End Function

Retrieves an array of all the components of any given type within a starter control (such as a page, table, panel, etc.)  This routine is recursive and will keep iterating down until all the embedded components are found.

This C# code can be invoked to produce an array as  follows:

CheckBox[] myCheckboxes = GetAllCheckboxes(Table1); 

public CheckBox[] GetAllCheckboxes(Control myControl)
{
  ArrayList myCheckboxes = new ArrayList();

 
  foreach (Control thisControl in myControl.Controls)
  {
    if (thisControl is CheckBox)
    {
      myCheckboxes.Add(thisControl);
    }

 
    if (thisControl.HasControls())
    {
      myCheckboxes.AddRange(GetAllCheckboxes(thisControl));
    }            
  }

 
  CheckBox[] result = (CheckBox[])myCheckboxes.ToArray(typeof(CheckBox));
  return result;
}

Our most popular article in the history of our online community! Explains the "is a", "has a", "uses a", and "looks like" relationships (updated May 2007). "Is a" is inheritance, "looks like" is interfaces, "has a" is aggregation, and "uses a" is composition.

According to Microsoft, "PowerCommands is a set of useful extensions for the Visual Studio 2008 adding additional functionality to various areas of the IDE. The source code is included and requires the VS SDK for VS 2008 to allow modification of functionality or as a reference to create additional custom PowerCommand extensions. "

If you've previously worked with Delphi and GExperts, you know how helpful some extensions to your IDE can be.

This free download, from Microsoft, adds some really useful functionality to the VS2008 IDE.  Check it out.

You turn on ASPX in your control panel. Depending on what O/S and version of IIS there are slightly different steps required but essentially you go to the Add/Remove Programs, Alter Windows Components, and make sure ASPX is checked in the Application Server or Application Development Services.

More Info / Details - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;332124&Product=winsvr2003

When we create applications, we usually need one or more icons. We'll definitely want a main program icon - in several sizes. We may also want another icon for our setup program.

Sometimes our client supplies icon files, but often they do not.

There are some great tools available for creating and managing Icons. One of my favorites, IconLover, is available at the site this link is about.

But most out-of-the-box, general purpose graphics editors lack support for the Windows .ICO file format. The solution is at this link, and it's free: It's a plug-in for Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro (even some version of Photoshop Elements).

At the bottom of this link's page, you'll find an entry for "Icon Plug-In for PhotoShop." Simply download the zip file, unzip, and follow the instructions in the ReadMe.txt file.

Your favorite, general purpose graphics editor will now be able to deal with ICO files!

Use SetWindowRgn API call to make a round form. The SetWindowRgn function sets the window region of a window. The window region determines the area within the window where the operating system permits drawing. The operating system does not display any portion of a window that lies outside of the window region.

Simply use this function in the FormCreate event:

procedure TForm.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var
  R1: HRGN;
  R2: HRGN;

begin
  R1 := CreateEllipticRgn(1, -1, Width - 1, Height);
  R2 := CreateEllipticRgn(50, 50, Width - 50, Height - 50);
 

  CombineRgn(R2, R1, R2, RGN_XOR);
  SetWindowRgn(Handle, R2, True);
end;

Use the public methods ForegroundColor and BackgroundColor. For example, in the OnChange event of a ColorGrid component you could do the following:

procedure TForm1.ColorGrid1Change(Sender: TObject); 

begin

   Edit1.Font.Color := ColorGrid1.ForegroundColor;

   Edit1.Color := ColorGrid1.BackgroundColor;

end;

None of the components on the "Samples" page are documented.

Chapter 26 by Mike Prestwood from the book WordPerfect Office 2000 for Linux: The Official Guide. First published June 2000 by Osborne-McGraw/Hill. ISBN 0-07-212238-2.

How can I purchase Paradox?

Answer from Corel...

Paradox was not updated from Paradox 10. It was given a new look, but the functionality remains mainly the same. Paradox 11 is available in the WordPerfect Office Professional version and can be purchased through Corel's online store or by calling us [Corel].  Paradox is also available as a standalone if you already own WordPerfect Office, and is [available] through our licensing program.  Within North America, please call 1-800-772-6735, Corel's Customer Support Services, to purchase the Paradox upgrade. We are open from Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm E.S.T. and would be happy to serve you. For customers outside of North America, please visit www.corel.com/contact to locate a Corel Customer Support Services Center nearest you.

This change management procedure is specific to Prestwood Software Development Process (PSDP).  PSDP is our free process we maintain and distribute as well as use with our own clients. Althought this is specific to PSDP, you can read it with an eye toward your own change management procedure. Do you use version control software? Do you use promotion groups?

The problem with collecting individual items is that the user inputting the item tends to put to much information in tasks and use requirement items and design items only as a secondary thought. When collecting project information, you generally collect a combination of what the customer wants (the requirement), how you want to code it (the design), how to test it (the test script), and even a bit of end-user documentation. Your tendency will be to put all of it in whatever bucket your looking at. A PSDP Artifact puts you on a single page where you can put information into their correct place, their correct bucket.

By using primarily Artifacts, you put yourself in the correct frame of mind while developing that feature from the first time you talk about it through testing it, and artifacts make managing linked items easier (one location to deal with name, category, linked actors, etc.)

We're all familiar with program help systems. At Prestwood, of course, we need to author them for many of the applications we create.

There are many help authoring tools available, and HelpScribble is one of my two favorites.

Now, even though you may not need to create program help systems, help files, on their own, can be a great way to organize and convey all manner of information. Because they can contain a table of contents, an index, search capabilities, hyperlinks from one topic to another, and embedded graphics, they can be a wonderful way to document many kinds of complex information - say a training manual for new workers - in just about any industry.

The people at Just Great Software like to say that, "If you can scribble, you can create help systems." They're right: HelpScribble makes it about as easy as it could get. Naturally, HelpScribble includes an extensive help system of its own, which will teach you everything you need to know.

HelpScribble can produce

• WinHelp (.hlp files),
• Compiled HTML Help (.chm files),
• Rich Text Format (.rtf files) for printed manuals, and
• Multi-page HTML output - suitable for web help.

At only $99, this is one of the best software bargains I've encountered.

You can read all about HelpScribble, and download a free trial here:
http://www.helpscribble.com/

With the size of applications and data, my belief is that you need a minimum of 2 GB of RAM not because it's required, but because Vista will use it. In Windows Vista, the caching scheme changed. Vista's SuperFetch built on and replaced Prefetch. Unlike Prefetch, SuperFetch will use up ALL memory you give it so you want as much memory on Vista as you can afford. My current Vista system has 3 GB of RAM with an additional 4 GB ReadyBoost compliant USB flash drive.