Deliverable Meeting

Today I will meet with Dr. Piercy to discuss the semester deliverable that will be turn in at the conclusion of the semester. I will post the outcome of the meeting and the deliverable details once they are established.

More Difficult Than I Thought

I have been work on C# development for quite some time now and I have realized that it is a little more difficult than I anticipated. I have made a few windows and console applications. I think my focus for the semester will be getting a good base on the C# language. Web Application is a whole other level. Like Java developing I had to learn the language and once I had a good handle on that I was able to apply it to web applications. HTML is quite easy but it seems that C# requires a bit more knowledge to run a web application.

SO, as of now I will continue to build windows applications that use the C# language to gain a better grasp of the differences in C# syntax and overall methodology.

My FIrst Application

Thursday, I was introduced to an amazing source from a friend on C# developing. I have even made my first console application, and windows application. the only differences being that one runs in the command window and the other runs as an application in windows. They were simple but very valuable because they helped me to learn the new IDE that I am using Visual Studio.

So far the hardest challenge has been using a new developing tool and not the actual developing language itself. From my previous classes in Java the programming language is very easy to pickup with minor changes to the code.

Visual Studio, once I am able to learn it's features will be very valuable in creating applications quickly.

Up and Running

i've installed the Visual Studio 2005 and it works! Therefore, this weekend will be dedicated to application development!

Visual Studio.NET 2003 Not Compatible with Windows 7

After installing Visual Studio 2003 on my computer (while running Windows 7) I encountered message after message telling me the program was not compatible with Windows 7 and there are no microsoft solutions. So I have purchased the Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition and it should arrive in 2-3 business days.

For the time being I am reading through the chapters in C# Complete and noting the similarities and differences between C# and Java. I am also brainstorming for ideas on an end of the semester project. I could just redo the old MIST 4630 assignment, however, I would like to create something that I could use on my computer or something Dr. P could use on his.

The ideas are still flowing...

FINALLY

I gave up on installing the most recent version on Visual Studio right now on my computer. I believe Windows 7 is the reason for the problems since there are still a lot of compatibility issues with software.

Visual Studio 2003 is installed but there are some compatibility issues (the first thing i see is a notification box alerting me to this) but hopefully it will not affect my work.

Currently I am working through the C# Complete book that Dr. P loaned to me. I'll keep posting to update my progress. Time to get started, FINALLY!

How to add a file to the blog?

As you can see the schedule did not post correctly and I am unaware of how to attach a file to the blog. So I will email one instead to my instructor for approval.

Windows 7

I recently installed the full version of Windows 7 on my notebook and I have to say that I am very pleased with the performance. It runs very smooth compared to Vista. The possibilities to personalize your computing experience is endless. I believe Microsoft has finally done something right!

Rough Draft C# Schedule

C# Programming Schedule

Week (beginning October 1)

Goals

Tasks 1 Install and Understand VisualStudio 2 Variables (types) and Input Forms Redo MIST4630 programming assignment in C# 3 If, Nested-If, and other logic statements in C# Redo MIST4630 programming assignment in C# 4 Server Side technology in C# Redo MIST4630 programming assignment in C# 5 Server Side technology in C#. Structuring a Web-app in C# Redo MIST4630 programming assignment in C# 6 Decide on Project Project Charter/Work Breakdown Structure/App. Structure 7 Client side technology in C# Redo MIST4630 programming assignment in C# 8 Database Integration with web application in C# Redo MIST4630 programming assignment in C# 9 Accessing, Updating, Retrieving Data from a Database Redo MIST4630 programming assignment in C# 10 Validation of input Final Project in C# Due

Materials

I thought it would be a good idea to document the core materials that I will be using throughout the semester.

1) Software: Microsoft Visual Studio

2) Book: C# Complete

3) Additional Resources: web

Meeting Results

After meeting with my professor we decided that I should create a schedule that will dictate my progress through out the semester. Currently I am working on getting VisualStudio running on my personal notebook. I will post a detailed schedule later on this week.

Project Meeting

Today, I will be meeting with Dr. Piercy to discuss a project to deliver at the end of the semester. I have been reviewing C# language specification and source code but at this point it is still confusing. The best way to grasp this language is to actually create something with it so I can see which task each piece of code is responsible for completing. I will post soon on the the project deliverable that was decided upon.

C# Language Specifications

I was browsing online and I found what seems to be an excellent beginning point for me to start learning the syntax of C#. It is a 519 page documentation of the C# language. The link for the page is:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vcsharp/aa336809.aspx

The link is called C# Language Specification 3.0

The site also appears to have a lot more on the programming language and I will certainly be looking into it more thoroughly.

C#

Since I have chosen C# as my topic of interest I decided to read up on some easy material so I can get to know the basics.

I used Wikipedia for this since it usually offers multiple sources but I am still very aware that it is an open source encyclopedia. Link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Sharp_(programming_language)#.22Hello.2C_world.22_example

C# is a programming language that was developed for the Microsoft .NET framework. At first glance it appears to be quite similar to the Java language that I have previously learned. There are minor syntax differences such as == in Java is = in C#. The most recent version of C# to date that I have been able to find is C# 4.0 . One of the most important aspects of the language is that it supports internationalization. Simply put the language can be used across the globe without any major complications.

Area of Emphasis

After speaking with my sister, about which .Net language would benefit the most when I enter the IS workforce, she informed me that C# would be best. So now I need to begin gathering resources on the subject matter and familiarize myself with what I will be attempting to learn over the course of the semester.

Introduction

This blog will be used to monitor my progress throughout the semester while I do an independent study on .Net. As of right now I am unsure of what specific area of .Net I want to place the most emphasis on. I have two choices: 1)Visual Basic, 2)C#.

Things to do:
- figure out area of emphasis
- get material on subject