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Transitioning to Visual Studio 2005 - Just my $.02

Incredible, for lack of a better word.

I can't understand why some in the developer community are so negative about new changes to Web Projects coming in Visual Studio 2005. Juding from the posts, people seem to be either "nervous" about migrating, "scared" that their apps will break, or "pissed off" about having to update existing code written in 1.1 to work with 2.0.

If you are nervous about migrating the new framework, don't migrate.  No one is being forced to migrate their applications to the new version, and Version 1.1 of the Framework will still be supported for a good long while.  If you find that you absolutely have to migrate, take it as an opportunity to improve your app by rearchitecting or refactoring your existing code base.

If you are scared, I suggest that you lock your doors, get a dog, whatever it takes to protect yourself from the big bad Microsoft behemoth.  If you are scared of new technology then you might be in for a rough ride.

If you are pissed off because Microsft moved your cheese, then you need to take a deep breath, step back, and ask yourself what they are trying to do.  In the end VS 2005 and .NET 2.0 will make your life as a developer more productive, just like previous versions.  You might want to give them the benefit of the doubt before flaming them.

I've worked a bit with Beta 2, and can't believe how good it is. Warts and all, the bottom line is that the Framework and tools keep getting better by leaps and bounds ... obviously there are breaking changes, but that should be expected when the major version of any software changes.

Personally, I can't wait to go live.  And I'm not getting a dog.

Programming craftsmanship

There's been quite a bit of discussion on programming as art vs. programming as craft.  Personally I think of programming as a craft, but as a creative process I can certainly feel how others would say that programming is an art form. Some people don't have an opinion, and personally I feel that's a bit sad.

Ok, I know i'm being a bit sanctimonious, but after this DailyWTF, I need to vent.  Database programming IS a craft, or art, if you prefer.  It's amazing how many developers treat RDMBS as black box without ever wondering what's inside.

I particually like the following thoughts on craft - it's amazing how many times I come up short ...

These are ten important principles for the practice of craft:

Act from principle.
Begin where you are.
Define your aim simply, clearly, briefly.
Establish the possible and move gradually towards the impossible.
Exercise commitment, and all the rules change.
Honor necessity. Honor sufficiency.
Offer no violence.
Suffer cheerfully.
Take our work seriously, but not solemnly.

- Robert Fripp, A Preface to Guitar Craft

On Writing etc.

Technical writing is hard work, and not for the faint of heart.

Good technical writing is hard because you can't BS, if you have any craft and you're not writing online help files then you're forced to work within a defined process that mandates crtical reasoning. Writing can eat up huge chunks of time and creative effort.

I'm actually starting this blog against my better judgment. One, because opinions are like, well, you know the old saying. Two, like everything else I'm passionate about, writing can become an obsession to the point of being a pain in the ass. In February of 2003 I was asked by Wrox Press to write about the SQL Standard for an upcoming book, Professional Standards for Programmers. One month and several deadlines into the project, Wrox and their associates went bankrupt, and I've sworn off writing since. When I saw Joseph Sack's post, A Book's Death, Rebirth, and Re-rebirth, I got a strange feeling of deja-vu, or something like it, and got motivated to write for the first time in a while. Congratulations to Joseph on a job well done.  As for me, I've got some writing to do.