Tools

If you have a custom data source for your NuGet packages and you use MSBuild for your solutions, MSBuild will not be able to restore these packages.

To achieve this without adding specific configuration files to your .Net solutions, you just need to add a NuGetDefaults.config file in the %ProgramData%\NuGet\NuGetDefaults.config directory of your build server. This file will be opened at each build requiring package restoration and will allow you to see your enterprise or personal NuGet package sources.

While trying to take advantage of the new trend charts in TFS 2013.4, I realized that the state change date was not added to the item template in the TFS Scrum template. I had to resort to using the modification date, but this skews the results for items that haven’t actually changed in a long time but have had a property change (notably the priority when reordering the backlog).

I found this article which explained the changes to be made, but my version of TFS is in French, so here is the French version to add to tasks, bugs, and backlog items in the <FIELDS></FIELDS> section:

It is very easy to create your first Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 or iOS application with Azure Mobile Services tools. In this post, I will demonstrate how to create a sample “ToDo” application. In fact, it will take you longer to read this post than to execute the steps in it!

Log in to your Windows Azure portal and go to the Mobile Services section. Click on the Create a mobile service link.

The productivity tools for Visual Studio 2012 are now available. In addition to the same features as the 2010 version, the new features of this version are:

• Quick tasks
• Power Commands
• Color printing

All features can be individually disabled in the options. If you have never tried them, don’t hesitate, it could increase your productivity.

Happy coding!

For some time now, Microsoft use the UserVoice platform for gathering feedbacks from some of their products, which mostly target developers. UserVoice is really good for that task and its looks even better than Connect for feedback, which is still use for bugs and technical issues. But I don’t they are any list detailing theses site. So here’s my short list, and if you found one, let me know!

• ASP.Net
• Expression Encoder
• Expression Super Preview
• Expression Web
• Microsoft Advertising
• Silverlight
• Visual Studio
• WCF RIA Services (Thanks Colin!)
• Windows Phone (Users)
• Windows Phone (Developers) and the WP7 application for this site
• Windows Phone Interoperability

Microsoft has launched the Windows PowerShell Command Builder for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products and Microsoft Office 365 allowing you to create PowerShell commands graphically and more easily than if you had to type them yourself.

It is a simple Silverlight application but it allows you to make queries (SharePoint Server 2010, Foundation 2010, and Office 365) that can be more complex:

The documentation is here!

Happy PowerShell

In my last post, I suggested a substitute for .Net Reflector. Since then, I came across the beta version of JustDecompile by Telerik. The tool seems efficient and well-designed. The interest in this kind of tool is evident, as replacements did not take long to appear!

Happy decompiling!

If you are like me, you have already used .Net Reflector to decompile some .Net classes. The product has been owned by Red Gate for a few years now, and they have kindly eliminated the free version to make it paid. I came across this article by Corey Roth where he mentions that even the latest version of Reflector contains a Time Bomb, meaning you would be forced to upgrade to the paid version starting June 1st.

While looking at prototyping tools for my Fez Domino, I came across Fritzing, a software that allows you to easily diagram your electrical circuit! Here is a summary:

• Open source, so free
• A community of enthusiasts
• Dozens and dozens of components, and the community continues to increase the available quantity
• A shop for manufacturing your PCBs. (Coming soon)
• Multiplatform
• Multilingual
• A really great visual, both of the software and the circuits!

Visual Studio 2010 SP1 is now ready to be downloaded! MSDN subscribers can download it with their account, while others will have to wait until Thursday, March 10 to get it.

Happy updating!

Update: Here is the download link