Here’s a useful tip for managing Oracle connections: Instead of relying on the tnsnames.ora file, which can be cumbersome to configure and distribute, you can include the connection details directly in your connection string. This way, all necessary information is contained within your application’s configuration file.

Here’s an example connection string:

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="ConnectionName"
         connectionString="Data Source=(DESCRIPTION =(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = hostname.host.se)(PORT = 1521))(CONNECT_DATA =(SERVER = DEDICATED)(SERVICE_NAME = servicename)));User Id=[your user];Password=[your pwd];"
         providerName="Oracle.DataAccess.Client" />
</connectionStrings>

This approach simplifies deployment by consolidating configuration into a single place. I find this method quite convenient!

As a jQuery newbie, I was curious about how to move items between listboxes. A quick search led me to this helpful guide: How to Add/Remove ListItems from One ListBox to Another Using jQuery.

It answered my question in seconds. The internet is a fantastic resource, and Google is indispensable for a contractor like me.

Today, I want to highlight a Kanban example shared by Henrik Kniberg.

Henrik’s insights into Kanban and agile practices have been incredibly influential. He was a major inspiration for my initial dive into Scrum and agile methodologies through his remarkable work, Scrum from the Trenches.

Check out his Kanban example for valuable perspectives and practical advice.

While exploring integration testing, I came across a great article that offers a clever approach to integration and regression testing for ASP.NET MVC applications.

The techniques described in the article complement the ideas I discussed in a previous post on agile testing, and they present a streamlined method for ensuring your MVC applications perform as expected.

Check it out if you’re interested in enhancing your testing strategies for ASP.NET MVC applications.

I encountered issues when trying to use session state in an ASP.NET MVC application, especially while writing unit tests for an action method that interacted with the session object.

Fortunately, I discovered MVC Contrib, which offers a range of useful tools. The TestHelper from MVC Contrib was exactly what I needed to resolve this issue.

Installation took just a few minutes, and I was up and running again quickly. Highly recommended!

Last night’s Elevate event was another impressive showcase of the diverse knowledge within Avega. The focus was on Agile Testing, a topic that has often confused and frustrated me. I’ve struggled to implement effective agile testing practices in the teams I’ve led. Here are some of the challenges I’ve faced:

• No Testers and No Testing in the Team: This approach led to a traditional waterfall-like process with a separate testing phase after development. We missed out on the benefits of agile methodologies.
• Testers in the Team, But Not Doing Agile Testing: When testers were included, they still followed company policies, which meant extensive documentation and test planning for each minor change. This approach proved inefficient.
• Testers Testing Only Sprint Work: In this setup, testers only tested the features developed during the sprint, with an acceptance test phase every 4-5 sprints. While this was better, it still led...

Over the past month, I’ve been involved in numerous meeting scheduling activities. The process always seems to involve a lot of back-and-forth with dates before finally settling on one.

If you’ve read Lean Software Development by the Poppendieck, you’re familiar with the concept of Set-based Problem Solving.

The website WhenIsGood utilizes this approach to simplify the process of finding a mutually convenient meeting time. It’s a straightforward, low-impact tool that can help streamline scheduling. You can check out their introduction video to see how it works.

This tool is a practical example of applying set-based problem-solving to everyday tasks, making the scheduling process more efficient and less frustrating.

I’m still amazed at how JavaScript has evolved. A language that many of us once dismissed has become a critical part of modern web development. Fortunately, the emergence of various JavaScript libraries means we don’t have to write everything from scratch.

One of the most talked-about libraries these days is jQuery. Initially, I thought it was just another LINQ dialect, but I quickly realized it’s far more than that. While it spares me from having to hack everything myself, I still need to get up to speed with it—and with CSS, since jQuery heavily interacts with CSS classes and other elements.

Here are some resources that have helped me get started with jQuery:

• Introduction to jQuery: A great screencast for designers. It might have some jargon and a bit of flair from the presenter.
• The second part of the screencast: Continues from the first part.
• Read More

Cucumber

This session was quite interesting, especially given my enthusiasm for Cucumber. The presenter, Aslak Hellesøy, had an unusual prop—a blender on his desk—which added a quirky touch to the talk.

Aslak began with an introduction to Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) and Test-Driven Development (TDD). He emphasized Dan North’s ideas on BDD, highlighting its outside-in approach, which focuses on business value.

Aslak, the creator of Cucumber, showcased its basics. Although he didn’t delve into .NET or C#, there is support for these technologies, and hopefully, it integrates well with Visual Studio. Despite the blender’s lack of success, the presentation was engaging, and I plan to explore Cucumber further.

ASP.NET MVC Advanced Ninja

The next session, titled “ASP.NET MVC Advanced Ninja,” covered new features in Visual Studio 2010 and ASP.NET MVC 2.0. Here are some highlights:

• ASP.NET 4 introduces a shorthand for HTML encoding output with...

Information Overload and Managing Flow

The final day of ÖreDev started with a keynote by Scott Hanselman, one of my “heroes.” His talks are always insightful and humorous. Here are some key takeaways from his session:

• Effectiveness: Doing the right things.
• Efficiency: Doing things right (like jumping off a cliff efficiently!).
• Triage: Sort information and avoid leaving things in your inbox. Use the “Do it – Drop it – Delegate it – Defer it” approach to manage tasks.
• Signals vs. Noise: Sort your data streams (Twitter, email, colleagues) into these categories.
• Email Management: Emails where you’re CC’d are less important. Avoid checking emails first thing in the morning to prevent becoming the fastest responder to all problems. Instead, check emails three times a day for 20 minutes each.
• Work Hours: Don’t try to outwork the system by putting in more hours. Instead, use techniques like the Read More