World of VS: Make it easy to change the default browser in Visual Studio Blog

Posted by shawson in .net on September 1st, 2010

World of VS: Make it easy to change the default browser in Visual Studio Blog.

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Clear down transaction logs

Posted by shawson in SQL Server on August 31st, 2010

A bit of syntax that I can never remember off the top of my head! SQL 2005 ‘Transaction Log is Full on database xxx’

DBCC SHRINKFILE('dbname_log', 1)
BACKUP LOG dbname WITH TRUNCATE_ONLY DBCC SHRINKFILE('dbname_log', 1)

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Cross server queries in SQL Server

Posted by shawson in SQL Server on August 26th, 2010

Without linking the servers you can do one off queries against another server using the OPENDATASOURCE or OPENROWSET functions. You will need to first enable “Ad Hoc Distributed Queries” as this is disabled by default- this can be achieved using sp_configure (if you’re logged in as sa)

sp_configure 'Ad Hoc Distributed Queries', 1
reconfigure

Once active you can use the function like this;

SELECT
    *
FROM
    OPENDATASOURCE('SQLOLEDB', 'Data Source=<servername>;User ID=<user>;Password=<password>').<dbname>.<dbo>.<tablename>

There is also an OPENROWSET function;

SELECT
    source.*
FROM
    OPENROWSET('SQLOLEDB', 'Data Source=<servername>;User ID=<user>;Password=<password>', 'SELECT * FROM <dbname>.<dbo>.<tablename>') as source

Thanks to Richard who dug this little nugget up from the interwebs.

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Grant Execute Permissions for all sprocs on SQL 2005

Posted by shawson in SQL Server on August 24th, 2010

So I did a post for SQL 2000 aaages ago showing how to do this- it’s a lot easier in SQL 2005 but i always forget the syntax as i rarly have to use it.

Open a new query editor on your selected database server then run this;

use <database_name>;
/* CREATE A NEW ROLE */
CREATE ROLE db_executor

/* GRANT EXECUTE TO THE ROLE */
GRANT EXECUTE TO db_executor

Then right click your database user (under security for the given database) and tick the new db_executor role. You’re done!

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Running multiple ASP.net membership sites under the same domain

Posted by shawson in .net on August 18th, 2010

We have a bunch of seperate microsites hosting book extras content all running in sub domains for a publishers website. Each site is secured is independantly secured with .net membership. A colleague of mine (Richard!) noticed after putting up the second site, that logging into one, also gave access to the other.

The fix was simple; Because cookies are domain-wide, the first auth cookie was being set, and then picked up by all the other sites on that domain. The fix, as detailed in the Microsoft Patterns and Practices Forms Authentication doc, is to just specify a distinct cookie name per application.

Use unique name and path attribute values on the
element as follows.

<forms name="YourAppName"
path="/FormsAuth" ... />

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Dummy Image Generator

Posted by shawson in .net, php on August 18th, 2010

’nuff said! http://dummyimage.com/

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ASP.net File Uploads with NeatUpload

Posted by shawson in .net, C#.net, IIS on August 17th, 2010

File Uploads are a fickle thing, and have been.. well.. always. ASP.net has it’s own default max file size, IIS is also put under strain while processing large files and trapping excpetions when file’s are too large, or providing progress bars during the process is a fiddly process.

I’ve recently started using NeatUpload which is an HttpModule which takes care of uploads, streaming the data straight to storage on the file system, or sql- taking a load off of IIS and also offering progress bars!

It’s a fairly old project, which has only recently gone up on codeplex- check it out!

,

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8WeekGame – I Won!

Posted by shawson in HTML5, Javascript on July 26th, 2010

Woo hoo! I won the very first 8weekgame competition with my HTML5/ Javascript rendition of Manic Miner named “Manic Spaceman”.

Hats off to both Martin & Gareth- I think we all did brilliantly to get a game smashed out in 8 weeks with no previous game development experience. The next competition kicks off in October (the 4th) where I will be joining the other guys to tackle some XNA! We will be free to produce any game we want this time round!

I’m on holiday for the next 3 weeks, returning mid-August when I shall complete the articles detailing the classes I wrote for Manic Spaceman, just incase anyone else wants to try doing something similar and needs some ideas!

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8WeekGame Competition Over – Vote Now!

Posted by shawson in Javascript on July 20th, 2010

The 8 week are over, and each of us has our game up and live for you to try out- pop over here to try them out and vote!

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Speed up your JavaScript : Video

Posted by shawson in Javascript on July 18th, 2010

Found a great video today giving JavaScript performance tips while researching last minute omtimisations for my Manic Spaceman game, being launched tommorow at the end of the 8weekgame competition! Check the video out here of a talk given by Google employee, Nicholas Zakas.

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