Here are the slide decks from my recent presentations. There were a few requests for theses so I wanted to make them available publically.

Learn how to program and sell Windows Mobile applications online. The first part of presentation will be an overview of Windows Mobile programming, focused on making developers aware of the capabilities of modern Windows Mobile devices and the latest version of the .NET Compact Framework to created advanced mobile user experiences. The second part of the presentation will be focused on different approaches to publish and distribute our creations online to the world.

Windows Mobile Marketplace

Creating Advanced Mobile User Experiences

Many of us love programming innately. It’s almost in our DNA. Some of my first programming experiences were on a used Commodore 64 that we picked up at a local garage sale. It didn’t come with any software, so if I wanted it to do anything it was up to me to make that happen. It was a lot of work, but it really was a lot of fun for me too. Later I move to QuickBasic, then to Visual Basic, and on and on from there.

I was the only developer who got his start with the Commodore 64. I guess you could consider the Commodore 64 to have used a “Rapid Application Development” programming language, but really it was a “Fun Application Development” language, and I think that went a long way to winning me over.

Most modern programming languages today are about rapid application development, this might help to keep current developers productive, but what will bring in tomorrow’s developers? What is today’s “Fun Application Development” language?

I think Microsoft’s Small Basic is a great answer to that question.

Small Basic

Small Basic Blog

Small Basic is a simple and easy programming language with a friendly environment that provides a cool and fun way of learning programming. From making turtles animations to running a slide show on the desktop, Small Basic makes programming natural and effortless.

• Small Basic derives its inspiration from the original BASIC programming language, and is based on the Microsoft .NET platform. It is really small with just 15 keywords and uses minimal concepts to keep the barrier to entry as low as possible.
• The Small Basic development environment is simple, yet provides powerful modern environment features like Intellisense™ and instant context sensitive help.
• Small Basic allows third-party libraries to be plugged in with ease, making it possible for the community to extend the experience in fun and interesting ways.

What do you do when you have over 863 seriously advanced stored procedures you need to update as soon as possible?

I don’t know about you but here is what I would do. I would download Redgate’s SQL Refactor.

Working with legacy SQL code means untangling someone else's coding format and quickly interpreting the purpose of the script. SQL Refactor provides a range of one-click features that instantly make legacy code as easy to work with as your own, including Layout SQL, Summarize Script, Encapsulate as a New Stored Procedure, and many more.

Update all dependant objects when you rename tables, views, and procedures Expand wildcards and qualifying object names to improve quality and performance Summarize complex SQL scripts 11 refactorings in total Smart column rename for views and tables Smart parameter rename for procedures and functions Split Table, can also create referential integrity tables Uppercase Keywords Summarize Script Expand Wildcards in SELECT statements Qualify Object Names Find Unused Variables and Parameters Encapsulate As New Stored Procedure Smart Rename, for objects

Yesterday, I did a presentation at the Roanoke Code Camp 2009. As promised here is the PowerPoint file, and follow up material.

Creating Advanced User Experiences for Windows Mobile (200)

Description:
Ready to take your mobile applications to the next level? Learn how to create exciting modern user experiences for Windows Mobile. First we'll review good, bad, and ugly of Windows Mobile user interfaces, and then we will explore different ways we can create mobile user interfaces that will thrill our users. This talk is for developers who are new to mobile development as well as programmers with some experience who want to learn new ways to make their apps shine.

PowerPoint: Creating Advanced User Experiences for Windows Mobile.pptx

Screenshots:

We had a good turn out for the presentation, pretty much a full room. And we had a great open conversation about creating modern Windows Mobile user experiences.