20th May 2008

ASPAlliance Times

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Featured Article

In this first part of the series, Eric shows how to use automated acceptance testing against Crystal Reports using the object model. After providing the requirements, he examines how to utilize automated acceptance tests with reports along with sample code to validate the report. He concludes the article by providing a structure of the report settings.

http://aspalliance.com/1643_Utilizing_your_NET_Projects_Automated_Acceptance_Tests_on_Crystal_Reports__Part_1

Editor's Comments

Microsoft has published a set of white papers which provide a good technical overview of the features available in Visual Studio Team System 2008. They're available individually for download: Visual Studio Team System 2008 Capabilities White Papers.

The papers cover the following subjects, corresponding to features sets and design goals of VSTS 2008:

• Communicate and Collaborate
• Drive Predictability
• Ensure Quality Early and Often
• Integrate Work Frequently
• Making Real-Time Decisions
• Managing Team Workflow
• Using Familiar Tools

I wrote the Integrate Work Frequently paper, which describes some of the new build system features, including the capability to implement Continuous Integration easily. We've been using Team System since its 2005 introduction at Lake Quincy Media, and I've been a longtime fan of continuous integration, as well. I was very glad to see its inclusion in VSTS 2008, and I'm sure it will be a big help to a lot of software shops.

Steve's Blog

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In this code snippet, Joseph examines a scenario of an unexpected behavior which will happen while using C# auto-implemented properties with reflection. After providing a step-by-step description of the scenario, he provides the complete code listing of all the C# files used in the sample project along with a screenshot of the final output and the relevant Visual Studio 2008 project.

In this video Mohammad Azam introduces the Castle Active Record Project. He walks you through how to get started using this tool. [8:53]

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Determine if a user's Session is still active.

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Crystal Alliance Recent Articles

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In this first part of the series, Eric shows how to use automated acceptance testing against Crystal Reports using the object model. After providing the requirements, he examines how to utilize automated acceptance tests with reports along with sample code to validate the report. He concludes the article by providing a structure of the report settings.

Creating reports can be a daunting task. Reports can demand a great deal of effort and time, especially if you have not worked with Crystal Reports much. In this article, Jeff provides six quick Crystal Reports Design Tips to assist in creating killer reports with style and speed. Among other tips, you will learn how to add WaterMarks to your reports. Each tip has been deeply examined with the help of relevant explanations and screenshots for better understanding.

Crystal Reports 2008 was released in October 2007. This article (written in Jan 08) explains the ins and outs of the CR2008 versions, integration with VS versions, side-by-side compatibility, upgrading reports and general features of interest to Visual Studio Developers.

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Sponsored by SoftArtisans

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In this second part of the series, Eric shows the reader how to create a burndown chart using Reporting Services, Visual Studio 2008, and Team Foundation Server (TFS) 2008 for an agile project. After giving a short introduction and the requirements, he examines the creation of burndown reports with the help of relevant SQL statements and screen shots.

In this first part of the series, Eric shows the reader how to create two reports using Reporting Services, Visual Studio 2008, and Team Foundation Server (TFS) 2008 for an agile project. After giving a short introduction and the requirements, he examines the creation of scenario story report with the help of relevant SQL and screen shots.