This Windows and .NET Watch from SD Times discusses Microsoft's new best practices and architecture sections on MSDN, which are chock full of valuable resources.

Here's a tutorial I wrote on using .NET's System.Configuration namespace rather than .INI files.

Not since Rocky fought Mr. T has a sequel so failed to live up to the quality of the original. The original Matrix was dedicated to keeping the action, surprises, and humor coming, no matter how contradictory, illogical, or downright stupid. Matrix Reloaded is dedicated to the opposite task: establishing …

I just got off a gig helping port ChessEverywhere to the Smartphone. (ChessEverywhere is a mobile universal client for various Internet chess sites -- there are always real people and bots to play, normal or blitz.)

Embedded Visual C++ 3.0, Win32 drawing... It was brief, but intense. Lots of fun …

Thinking in C# no longer available for download. As you may know, one of the aspects of this project was that draft versions of the text had been available for download. Surprisingly, I've been told in no uncertain terms that some of the other parties involved feel that the "last …

It's been a rotten couple of months. For reasons that I can't talk about publicly, the printing of Thinking in C# has been cancelled. ...\<long rant scribbled because, like I said, I can't really talk about it>...

Stay tuned to http://www.ThinkingIn.NET/ -- I'll be making some significant changes …

Just got off the phone with Nick Holdapp, Visual C++ Product Manager. There is a defect in VS.NET 2002 and the forthcoming VS.NET 2003 VC++ compiler that can cause an application freeze. What's interesting is that the defect is considered architectural and MS doesn't plan on patching it …

Stupidity should be cured, says DNA co-discoverer. Okay, I don't agree with him, because I think there are compelling arguments that we're in over our heads when it comes to genetic manipulation, but I applaud him for speaking the unspeakable. And "People say it would be terrible if we made …

Friday Five

1. What is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)?

I guess I'd say that of everything, my single favorite form is the extended essay -- I actually read the New Yorker every week!

2. What is your favorite novel?

My stock answer …

Yesterday, I had a good meeting with Cory Linton and other members of Microsoft's Tablet PC SDK. A Tablet SDK 1.5 is now available on MSDN. The major additions are a PenInputPanel which pops up a dedicated input window very near a normal WinForm control, which should allow for …