Detecting a ClickOnce Application

Q: How do I tell if I'm currently running in the context of a ClickOnce application?

A: You can see if a ClickOnce application is running in the current AppDomain by checking the AppDomain.CurrentDomain.ActivationContext property. If that value is non-null, then the domain is running a ClickOnce application. The ActivationContext will also get you the name of that application. There may be situations (such as choosing an isolated storage scope), where having this information is necessary and useful.

For more info, visit http://blogs.msdn.com/shawnfa/archive/2006/01/20/514411.aspx

File Upload Limit

Q: I’m using code very similar to that in this article (http://www.dotnetspider.com/technology/kbpages/568.aspx). The problem I have is when I try to upload a 9 MB file, I immediately get “Page cannot be displayed” error. Execution doesn’t even reach the PageLoad() event. The size limit for an IMAGE type in SQL Server 2000 is 2GB+, so size should not be a problem here. When I try the same function for files under 4MB, everything works as expected. What's the problem?

A: Your web application can only upload a file size of 4 MB only. To upload files more than 4mb you have to add option in the web.config file and set the maximum file size there.

In addition, if you're running IIS6, you could be hitting the limit for AspMaxRequestEntityAllowed. If the Content-Length header field of the HTTP request is larger than this limit, the page will bomb out immediately. You can increase the value in IIS6's metabase. For more info, goto
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/iissdk/html/99b8a8bd-f9e7-43a8-b4cf-1186e2b3e9e2.asp

What is _vti_cnf ?

Q: What is _vti_cnf?

A: This is a special folder created by Frontpage for use with IIS. Other folders may include _vti_script, _vti_pvt, or _vti_txt. For a complete list of FrontPage special files and folders, goto http://www.rtr.com/fpsupport/SERK/a_spfile.htm. This folder is not required for an ASP.Net application so it can be deleted manually.

Discount training for SIG Members

Solutient is offering a wide variety of .Net classes at a discounted rate exclusively for SIG members. The complete list is posted on the SIG web site at http://www.clevelanddotnet.info/ under the "Links" section. To receive the C#/VB.Net special interest group membership preferred pricing, you must mention promotion code A16. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Luc at SLuc@solutient.com.

Setting the Default Button in ASP.Net 1.1

Q: I have an ASP.Net 1.1 search form with several buttons on it (Search, Clear, Logoff) and a search word field. Currently, if the user enters text in the "Search Word” fields, and presses ENTER, the logoff button (located on the banner at the top of the form) is activated and the user is prompted if he wants to logoff. How can I change it so the ENTER key will activate the “Search” button instead? In other words, how can I make the “Search” button, the default button?

A: In ASP.Net the enter button executes the first button on the page. So create a button that is not visible (width is set to 1 px) and placed it at the top of the page before the logoff button. Change the background color if needed and make sure it cannot be seen. Then set the click event in .aspx page to execute the search button click event. When the user presses enter, the first button is executed and it will call the search method.

An invite to all SIG members

BRING YOUR "A" GAME. BRULANT GAME NIGHT!

You're invited to test your gaming skills against your fellow technology gurus. Join us for networking, food, drinks, and the chance to win bragging rights as the master of:
* Texas Hold 'Em
* Halo 2
* Chess
* Foozball
* Human Tic-Tac-Toe
* Madden
* CounterStrike
* and more!
Throughout the night, we'll be giving away great prizes. Feel free to suggest any other games we might consider, and bring a friend, the more the merrier!
When? Thursday, February 2nd, 5:30 p.m.-?Where? Brulant's NEW Headquarters3700 Park East Drive, Suite 300Beachwood, OH 44122To Register: Visit http://www.brulant.com/events/event.asp?id=508, and click on the "register" button for each person that plans on attending!


BRENDA M. PATTERSON
Marketing Communications Manager
216 896 8938 / direct
brenda.patterson@brulant.com

BRULANT, Inc.
3700 park east drive, suite 300
beachwood, ohio 44122
216 896 8900 / phone
216 896 8991 / fax
brulant.com

Accessing Version Number in .Net

Q: How do I programatically access the version number of an ASP.Net application?

A: The version number, and other general information, is kept in the AssemblyInfo.vb (for VB.Net projects). All information is housed in attributes in the file, as listed below:

Assembly: AssemblyTitle("MyApp")
Assembly: AssemblyDescription("A Sample Program")
Assembly: AssemblyCompany("ABC Software Corp.")
Assembly: AssemblyProduct("")
Assembly: AssemblyCopyright("2006")
Assembly: AssemblyTrademark("")
Assembly: CLSCompliant(True)
Assembly: AssemblyVersion("2.0.*")

To access the application version through .Net code, use
System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Version.ToString(). The value displayed will be 4 sets of numbers, separated by '.' (similar to TCP/IP address). The version information for an assembly consists of the following four values:
Major Version
Minor Version
Build Number
Revision

MSDN Beta Home Page

One of the tips I give to developers who want to stay up to date on the latest .Net information is to view MSDN web site (http://msdn.microsoft.com) regularly. It's a good idea to set it as your default home page so you can glance the headlines everytime you open a browser.

Expanding on that idea, Microsoft is now working on a Beta MSDN site (http://msdn.microsoft.com/aboutmsdn/betahomepage/default.htm) . The 2 big features of the new site are Country specific content and "My MSDN" for personalized content management.

IT Jobs with FBI

For those in the IT job market and want something a little different and a little challenging, the FBI maybe the place for you! Beginning next month, the FBI will begin interviewing for a variety of positions. To apply, go to www.fbijobs.gov. Although many of these jobs have salaries well into the 6-figure range, they do involve relocating to the DC area. With the change in the cost of living, the 6 figure salary may not be that much. For a city-city comparison of cost-of-living, vist www.homefair.com. For those interested in IT jobs in NE Ohio, please visit http://www.clevelanddotnet.info/careers/.

Visual Studio 2005 Questions

Q: Does VS2005 support source code control and editing of both .NET and Java code?
A: Yes, VS2005 does support Javascript code within web pages, with some intellisense.

Q: Does source code control come with VS2005 or is it part of “Team Suite”?
A: VS doesn’t handle source code control directly. Instead, it integrates with Visual Source Safe (VSS) for source code control. VSS could store any file type, so Javascript code should not be a problem. VS Team Suites come with Visual Source Safe 2005. VS standard and Pro don’t come with it but can integrate with it, if purchased separately. For more information, please go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/products/compare/default.aspx.

Microsoft Events (more of...)

Per my previous blog entry, the 2 major Microsoft events for developers that come to town are TechNet and MSDN. However, Microsoft also has additional seminars that cater more towards product sales and technology providers. These additional seminars are Microsoft Connections, Microsoft Business Solutions Seminar, and TS2. Although these are less technical than TechNet and MSDN, some of the presentations are still informative to developers, demonstrating new products, capabilities, and possible integration with other products and SDKs. For a complete description of all events, go to http://www.connect-ms.com/default.html.

Local Microsoft Events

Microsoft will be sponsoring 2 events tomorrow in the Cleveland area. TechNet will take place in the moring, 8:00 AM - Noon, and will cover SQL Server 2005. The MSDN event will take place 1:00 PM- 5:00 PM, and will cover Visual Studio 205. The demonstrations are very informative and the DVDs distributed contain manyweb casts, tutorials and trial software. All this, free of charge.

To register for these events, visit the following links:
http://www.technetevents.com and http://www.msdnevents.com.

Worm Attack Set for 1/5/2006

A new variant of the Sober worm has been detected recently by Verisign's cyber intelligence center. The worm is expected to launch an email attack on January 5th, 2006 (the 87th anniversary of the Nazi party). Emails launched during the attack are expected to have subject lines that relate to FBI or CIA.

The obvious remedy to this worm, as well as others, is to make sure the Antivirus programs and security patches are updated on all systems. In addition, creating a contact in each address book with "!!!!!!!!!!!" as the email address might prevent the worm from spreading. Some worms/viruses don't have the proper error handling when an invalid email address is encountered. By having the first email address in an address book be invalid, it may generate an error and prevent the worm from spreading. Although this is not a guarantee, it's definitely cheap insurance.

For more info on the worm, visit http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,106848,00.html?source=NLT_AM&nid=106848