C#.NET – A Case for Macros

.NETMacros are one of the most notable C/C++ features that went missing from C#.  With programming experts forever in debate on whether macros enhance or detract from a programming language, and many run-of-the-mill developers ignoring the feature entirely, the .NET team chose to keep them out of the C# spec.  Still, the language might be enhanced with macro integration in a future release of the framework.
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Technori April 2014 – To Give or Not to Give

TechnoriThe de facto event of the Chicago tech scene, this month’s Technori focused on social welfare opportunities and start-ups.  A variety of entrepreneurs each brought forward unique and exciting ideas for improving the community, with innovations in job placement, education, finance, and logistics.
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Top 5 Brainstorming and Wireframing Tools

Lightbulb IdeaGood wireframing tools can save time and make sure everyone’s ideas are incorporated in the final product.  There are a plethora of tools available, however a core set of tools seems to be used by most designers.  They help save time on software development and web development projects, and result in thought-out and well-designed systems.
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Can User Interface Design Make the World a Better Place?

VisionaryWhen building custom software, a user interface designer will progress through several levels of skill development.  Similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, each lower level must be fulfilled before a designer can progress to the next plateau.  The question is – where does the pyramid end, and where is it right to draw the line as to the responsibility of the UI designer?
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The Fallacy of Automatic User Interfaces – Why Design Matters

BowmanReading the recent TOCHI (Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction), a group of researchers developed yet another automatic user-interface generation tool, this time for the smart computing space.  Reasoning that there will soon be an explosion of software in the “Internet of things,” these brave souls ventured to create a “one size fits all” approach to the controllers, so that User Interface designers would no longer have to be a part of the development team.
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SQL Server Development Tips – Automated, Incremental Builds

SQL Server DevelopmentThe black-box mechanics of SQL Server can make database versioning a challenge.  Traditional approaches include keeping a log of all structural SQL changes, or taking backup snapshots at development milestones.   The primary weaknesses of these approaches are the lack of flexibility and prototyping with the first, and deployment challenges with the latter.  Herein we present a solution to the challenge using version control and automated, incremental build scripts.
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Web Development Tips – Customize AddThis Toolbar Buttons

Web DevelopmentSearch engine experts recommend adding social media links to your website.  Although it can seem inconsequential, this small tip will help increase the number of likes and shares your website receives on social media.  This tutorial reviews the steps necessary to add the “AddThis” toolbar to your website, and how to customize the buttons to show the social networking sites that are most relevant to your business.
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PowerShell – Will It Be The End of VBScript?

PowerShellWith the growing popularity of Microsoft PowerShell – the new batch scripting language from Microsoft, it seems that VBScript was dealt yet another blow in one of it’s last vanguards, the server admin scripting space.
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Digital Privacy: Your Emails Are Naked Online

nakedDespite many of the recent high-profile security breaches – from Target’s credit cards, to Edwards Snowden’s extravaganza, to further leaks of the NSA’s spying capabilities, major changes still have not taken place in most individuals’ digital habits.

While the average person implicitly understands the difference between sending a postcard and an envelope, most eyes gloss over at the thought of encrypting their email or web traffic.  Just like a letter without an envelope can be read by everyone in between, an email or web page that is not encrypted can, and will, be read by everyone who gets their hands on it.  In addition, each person who handles that email doesn’t just read it, but copies it several times into various archives.  The email archives and logs are often stored for years or decades.
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JavaScript Anonymous Functions – Blessing or a Curse?

Anonymous FunctionsThe growing popularity of AJAX and jQuery has significantly increased the use of anonymous functions in client-side JavaScript code.  Although anonymous functions provide a very convenient way to decrease the amount of code necessary in an app, their prevalence and necessity may portend to structural deficiencies in either the language or development tools.
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