Get your Microsoft Certification

I have more than 3 months, I didn't post here. I'm going to be more and more busy on the next days, so you may not find any updates.
But what makes me so busy?
First, Study and my Bac Exam, Second I'll concentrate on my Dot Net learning because I aim to get Microsoft Certification on .net 3.5 and Visual Basic and C#.

As you know I'm a VB.net developer. Quickly, I made sure that vb.net and C# had no differences but also no commons. It's the same code, written in a different way.
Include in C# is Import in VB.net and so on...

However C++ is different, it seems to be more complex, so I won't crash my head on it.
I find a cool section of books in O'reilly, which was really fantastic. You can purchase the books online, but if you don't, you can use Utorrent, but I really don't recommend, just buy your own license.

Then hang on the Microsoft six Steps to Certification. I really got overwhelmed. They are 6 steps and in each one, a wide variety of choices and courses.

Finally, an article finish my journey by 'MS Exams are hard'... Ohh, next Microsoft MCP!

What you don’t see… Search better!

Many people are using search engines to find information on the web. This is not bad, but if you are a beginner that needs learning this is not good.
Why seek the web and search for resources? Why not think? You are using Visual Studio, then why search on blogs and different website.
If you are a beginner then you are wrong. It’s time to learn so go here (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx) first.
In the top here, you can choose the coherent language for you. But I prefer English and you’d better choose it if you know well English.

First step: Forget all what you see and concentrate on those parts.

Now let’s Get started!

Now you should see this box in the bottom of the page. This is for beginner. MSDN will guide you. Start with the first box doesn’t leap unless you are a Superman.

The first box is important. You have to choose either you’ll learn Web or Windows development. It’s a big decision unless you’ll learn them both. But you have to start with one to not get confused.

The next part is about training, you need to get certificates if you are planning to continue your life as programmer thus you need good learning!

Virtual labs are cool but require a good connection. It let you try the developer tool, so you have an idea about them…

See the highlight here’s more: A library where to find all you need about programming, the “How Do I?” Videos and troubleshooting.

Second Step: Getting involved…

Now it’s time to work and improve your knowledge. In the first part, we have learned the basis, now it’s time to become a coding warrior!

How can you do that?

Let start with MSDN Forums, the best on the web. Here you can find answers to your question, with the help of several MVP and moderator on the forum. Also some members are giving a good hand that.

If you have learned well the basis then you shouldn’t post beginners question and then perhaps help the other. This is quite important, because I see many of the MSDN forum members (starting from me!) posting question where answers are in the “Get Started” part.

Search for code: The truth is that all programmers are repeating the same code. This is a waste! Code Gallery is a place to not loose time on code already done. Don’t forget to share your code!

CodePlex, is like Source Forge you can found there Open Source Software (even 3d games wow!) More than 1,000 project and growing..

Final Step: Keep the wheel turning

If you don’t keep the wheel turning, you won’t be up-to-date. And then you may waste money and effort. For better programming and results it’s important to stay current with the latest changes on the Microsoft products and technology.

MSDN Flash: You can receive latest news by e-mail or subscribe to the RSS feeds.

MSDN Magazine: A simple magazine where you can read about MS products and technology.

Channel 9: Watch out videos, communicate with others, collaborate?

Need More: MSDN Blogs, TechNet blogs

Classic methods: Tail Recursion

I have a while interested on old programming. This can sometime solve several problems. I’m going to list some of those classic methods. They are popular for old programmers but perhaps some of the newbie don’t know their use.
What is Recursion?
If you are a student then you should know it! You studied it at the math class. Yes, and there’s no big difference between the math recursion method and the computer recursion method.
The recursion simply said: it’s to return and do the same work until arriving to a limit.
Let’s take the most popular sample; a factorial application with Tail recursion.

Function Factorial (Byval n as integer) As Double
If n < 0 then
Throw
New ArgumentException(“Invalid argument”)
Elseif n <= 1 Then
Return 1
Else
Return n * Factorial (n-1) ‘ The recursion is here
End If
End Function

The recursion is here! As I said it’s to return and do the same work, then run the same function but this time with minus one and do it again.
Concentrate you’ll understand it, take an example so you can appreciate it.
Still have a problem? Tell me!

Is Google Blog Search good?

I have time thinking on how to enhance searching for information and code sources on the web.
Google is a giant engine, but can waste much of your time and give bad results.
I then turned to Blog search. Blogs are good, why?

- Programmers who blog should know a lot about Dot Net
- They Should know the resources
- They post articles where they share resources they found
- They’ll help you find resources

The problem is how to find the correct blog for the current search.
Google blog search will search only on blogs!
Let suppose you’ll search for the term “Dot Net” thinking that you’ll receive some tutorials, read interesting articles….
See the results? Google is hyper-fast (.48 s) but hyper-fat (77,059
On the top you should see some blogs! Are they Sponsored?
No they aren’t sponsored as by writing “Omar Abid” I see my blog in this list and I’m not sponsoring my blog.
But just read the first result, does Google give coherent results?
Perhaps the 2nd is, but what about the 3rd?
Let’s return to the 2nd picture, how does Google mean by Pertinence?
Quality or Page Rank? Is this fair?
For you to comment!

The Dot Net Source and MSDN Tracker

I have a while thinking on how to help the other improving their knowledge on Dot Net. I finally decided to enlarge and expand my 2 forgotten projects:

- Finally decide and start the Dot Net Source
- Continue building and posting on the MSDN Tracker blog

Some of you don’t know even what those blog do! They do well for the community ;)

MSDN Tracker: Is the oldest and some what famous (130 visitor daily). The blog idea is quite cool, keep in track of best answers on the MSDN Forums. Cool, no?
This blog is quite useful and many appreciate it
The Dot Net Source: I finally decided to write tutorial for the community. Each tutorial will have its own source code that can be downloaded from the blog. A tutorial was made sticky by a moderator in the MSDN forum, showing how much they appreciate it also. Cooler, no?

What about this blog?
This blog is a sad lonely blog, where readers are just reading… It’s a talk more than it can be a learning solution.
Although we can make it great, no?

MSDN “How Do I” Videos

This is a gift from MSDN, Videos for beginners. Although quality is not quite good, but still a good start.
Those are the How do I series. They show new technology. MSDN may make them to make a quick start and to help beginners learn faster and in less time.
You’ll found on the web site a variety of others videos. Watch they are cool!

How Do I: Create Context-Sensitive Menus in MFC?
How Do I: Handle Keyboard Events in Silverlight 1.0 for Mobile?
How Do I: Create a State Machine Workflow for SharePoint?
How Do I: Add A Dialog Page to Configure Your VSPackage?
How Do I: Use the Refactor Command Generator Power Tool?

Found more interesting videos on the Net? Let me know with a comment!

The Static solver project

I have some days that I attended classes about Static and I found it quite cool.
The classes give me an idea on creating a new project this time will help math students. The project is simple:

1- Fill your table
2- The program calculates the overall, the difference…
3- Estimate
4- Draw graphs
5- I still think

The program should use a Database? No I think a table is sufficient, but a table will be necessary to save the static table! Or saving it on file format will need much work!
Still think on it and on solutions.
Online static solver? May be after I finish the following :)
When I’ll start?
30 May 2008 (When I finish exams)
When I’ll finish
15 days are estimated
Lines of code
2’000 or I think a little more
Size
Won’t be more than 1 MB with the installer
Download and use
Free to download and use
Where?
When I finish I’ll post it right on this blog!

MSDN Forums, the best on the Net?

I think they are (MSDN Forums) the best on the web. No ad, no much links, simple skin, easy to navigate, many users are ready to solve your problems and other are friendly…
Plus as you answer you’ll get a higher rank on the forums, you can also publish your tutorials and articles. I’m doing so and I have many friends right their.
What about other forums?
You can see Google groups, answering rate is high their, but there’s so much traffic and your problem can be unseen.
So I advice you to choose the MSDN forums.
Turn off your passivity
Don’t ask only! Try to solve others’ problem, especially beginners one.
Post tutorials and sample codes.
Join the Miscellaneous forums and exchange ideas
Get fame and prosperity
By solving other problem you show to moderator and MVP your knowledge and your capacities.
You may win the MVP Reward

Two nested Loop? How to exit then!

I think I write a lot about web and forget dot net tricks and solutions!
It’s because searching is the most important things and… and let’s start solving our problem.
Finally the problem comes upon every beginner on programming.
If you have a loop, you can exit it at any moment by executing an Exit Do statement and continue...
Let suppose you have two nested loops or for…Next
Let suppose that you want to exit them from the innermost loop
In the following code you want to exit the both loop but this code don’t work as desired!

For I as integer = 1 To 10
For J as integer = 1 To 10
If I = 0 then Exit
For
Next
Next

The solution is to use two different kinds of loops.

For I as integer = 1 To 10
Do while J <= 10
If I = 0 then exit for
J += 1
Loop
Next

The following code will quit both of the loops! Nice, no?
Still get a problem? Post a comment.

Microsoft giving chances for others

Microsoft could create the Net biggest Dot Net and programming portal, as it has the MVP that can give resources and answers to questions on the same time. Its programmers and worker can make the biggest blog ever and kill all other blogs.
However Microsoft is not indifferent from this domain but also is giving chances for other programmers and activist on the web and encouraging them to work on it.
The MVP reward can be a sign showing what Microsoft is aiming to!
But what’s better? MS monopolize the net or give up chances for other website like she’s doing now.
Giving chances is better in my opinion. Like that anyone can create its own project and code and there’ll be a variety of coder coding every where. However information can be separated and this can harden the work and expand the time for searching.
The solution is in hands?
Perhaps there’s a solution! Like the OpenID is aiming to unify the ID’s on the web, with the site ClaimID. We can also create Claim Project as the world biggest search engine for projects. For example Source Forge will ping Claim Project and tell it that a new project had already been added. A solution should be created to erase duplicates. And then searchers don’t find the same project many times.
Anyone can put its project?
No because spammers are every where, the project should authorize top 100 website to ping the site.
Then the search should give the results as you search on it and only projects are showed.
The Idea is nice no?
Thinking on making it real? Tell me!

How to search for Dot Net Solutions

Promptly all you search for is on the Net! The hardest problem is to find information. I have a free Barcode maker, but people still buy Barcode maker applications! Will I advertise for my application to get it downloaded for free, or I’ll turn it costing!
This is not our problem, but you can say it’s the same!
There’s free Dot Net Solutions: Video, project (open source), tutorials, articles…
But you find only the payable ones! They advertise, have a High PR, do Seo optimization and lot more! So you will find any, but them!
But in the upper point on the net, there’s with high quality the project that you are searching for! And for free!
The problem still exists on Microsoft documentation. You are searching for an article you search during hours, you don’t find although it exists in the MSDN library…
The problem is on the site search engine or on you?
It’s on you both!

If you are searching with Google:
Google like money more than like to give solution for searchers and then I say it: Don’t visit Google Ads if you are searching for a free solution.
How to detect the Ads: Google will tell you, you should read ‘Ad by Google’ you can easily distinguish them from the Search results.
Now you’ll see 2’000’000 results and even more! Google is sometimes stupid or do it for showing how much pages it indexed but 2’000’000 results it something imaginary and you can’t spend time searching on it!
Let take an example, you are searching for a code snippet on how to shut down computer automatically with VB.net
This will be stupid if you write ‘shut down computer’ Google will give you millions of results. But you should follow those steps

1- precise your language: VB.net
2- The aim: shut down computer
3- Kill other results : import, end sub, function…

And then you should type ‘vb.net’ shut down computer ‘end sub’ for example
The end sub will kill other results that don’t include code snippets.

If you are searching with Microsoft
There are different resources on Microsoft website, but if you want to get benefit from them you should know programming and have a good level on it.
If you have a high level then you can use the MSDN Library. High level doesn’t mean professional but you have a good knowledge.
The MSDN library is to explicit functions and there use and to give details. Generally it doesn’t have sample or code snippet but just a direct application of the following function. Its use can be hard in the first time. You should better download it, because the online version is slow and slow also the computer and sometimes don’t show.
The TechNet website: Ms TechNet can also be a solution for professional and also for beginners. The difference between TechNet and MSDN that TechNet has no details about function but tutorials, like small e-book or a giant e-book divided on many parts.
The TechNet is good to build your knowledge and know the basis. Its tutorials are oriented on Windows fundamental basis and Network technologies.
MSDN samples: Microsoft had build samples about the Dot Net and for each language. But those are for beginners.

What Microsoft can be good on?

- Getting you started with the Dot Net
- Let you on the right way
- Answer your question on the MS forums
- Give detailed information about functions and coding on MSDN
- Give tutorials and some times free e-book
- Help professional and network programmer on TechNet

What Microsoft is missing?

- It had no complete portal for dot net, but giving chance for others.
- Some resources are not clear and easy to find
- Beginners and newbie can find difficulties

Do you find a problem on searching? Try other posts?

How to make a successful program

Whether you are working on a company or not, to become a successful program you should go through those notices

1- Have a plan before starting coding
2- Know the different steps
3-
Write your program on simple algorithm
4- Imagine the design
5- Use
FireWorks or FreeHands for example to create your own icons
6- Design your
program before you put code on it
7- Don’t put the code on the Main form!
Use classes
8- Try to divide longs codes on DLL library
9- Try your
application, execute the statement that you doubt on them
10- Ask you
friends to try
11- Don’t launch the final version but the beta one
12-
Make your documentation online
13- Create a forum, so that bugs and solution
can be read and available for all

That was all? No this list is just listing important point!
Making a plan for your application can be the hardest problem!
A plan will precise the target of your application, a bad plan may need more effort in future and represent bugs and errors for your application.

How to success on making a program?
Career, yes that’s it you need time to become an expert. Time not become old, but time learning and fetching for resources. You can become a Coding Warrior and you don’t know how to make a plan and how to design.
The solution is cooperation; it’s working together side by side!
The Manager, the programmer, the designer, the help writer…
As you are on Net it’s easy to find projects that programmer and different people can do together. Source Forge is the best place for it. Although you can make you own source forge by installing a management application on your Net Server. Many PHP Open Source management projects are available. You may have a look at Fresh meat or Google it.

Thinking on a project?
I already made 2 projects!
Barcode code maker: Thanks to the barcode fonts, I made an application that create barcode and is better that payable application
Lock my pc: This program will lock your computer and allow you to launch only authorized applications.
If you think on a project we can make together I’m happy to hear it from you! Post a comment about it?

Coding Horror, A simple Blog

I have a blog that I visit often, about 3 times on a week to read what's going on.
It's Coding Horror. Jeff Atwood seems to be the author, is just writing for fun but good articles.
The traffic is returning, but most of it from Google. Comments? Just he posts a topic and 100 comments in less than 10 hours! Terrible!
But I see that he have a bug on the comment moderation or the Spam protection is not working, because it always asks me to write the same word! Really strange.
So the comments may be spam?
The blog is cool and I advice you to read and keep in track of its posts.
Generally or what should be, it would talk about Dot Net Technology, it's an old blog and that may be the reason of his popularity.
But I think it's popular because of the good posts that he's writing.
Whatever! It talks about computers in general but some time about Open Source and they are interesting.
What Good on this blog?
No ad, no links, no photos, no.. no.. Really a very simple stupid template like this one.
White and black colours only! That's better for eyes!
It's perhaps that template that makes visitors read, because I see that the commentators are quite interested on the content of each article!
Will my readers do the same?
View my experience; I see that Google traffic is bad traffic! They don't read well! Although Google still the primary source of traffic for all blogs and websites (generally)
But if you have a web site for Dot Net, you can include your tutorial on other website or Dot Net portal. Like I'm doing for The Dot Net Source.
MSDN forums traffic (other said from Microsoft) is a good traffic that read and search. The difference is obvious!
1 visitor have 1.6 page views from Google but from Microsoft will have 4.7 page views. Static from the Dot Net source blog shows!
Will my blog become like Coding Horror?
Yes but I think I have to wait 4 years to have the same traffic! He waited!
Good luck for all Bloggers!

Welcome to Dot Net Tricks

A Word for visitors:
Welcome to Dot Net Tricks the blog that will solve all your Dot Net problems.
We are new and we have a little number of articles. Help us growing by commenting and suggesting new ideas for our blog.

What this blog will talk about:
Are you a bored Dot Net programer that want just to surf the net and in the same time improve its knowledge? Here's a good place where you can kill time and in the same time get new ideas.
What you can read?

1. How to solve some dot net problems
2. Optimization tricks for your code
3. Cool new sites and application
4. Open Source Ressources
5. Dot Net and MS technology news
6. Some time I talk about other blogs...

Getting Started?
The following blog is making 15 000 visitor and more per day! Don't believe just see it's traffic sources and you'll get shocked by the flow of the traffic. Most of the traffic is Returning!
It took more than 4 years so he can make as traffic! Help me do so, I'll wait those 4 or 5 years!
So to get started subscribe to the blog RSS feeds! And then keep in the track of every post!
You can also subscribe via Email and then you'll receive my articles directly to your Mail Box.
I'll soon added my blog to Technorati and FeedBurner

Having a suggestion?
I'm getting 150 email per day and more in the inbox! (and more than 300 in the spam). So please if you have a suggestion or a question, an idea or to critisize this blog please post your comment here and you'll get a quick answer.
If you think you need to contact me, just send it to omar.abid2006@gmail.com and I'll reply for your mail promptly.

Like this blog?
Digg articles, Share them, comment, subcribe to the RSS feeds, tell your friends about it, link to us... you can do a lot in order to help us grow!