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WPF Bindings are pretty straight-forward. However, when you're in the thick of things sometimes you need a cheat sheet to jog your memory. The following cheat sheet (not of my making) has been very useful: http://www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/WpfBinding.pdf Thanks to whomever posted and maintains it over at Cheat-Sheets.org !

I've never had the opportunity to work with the Code First approach in Entity Framework. All my work professionally has been against existing databases. However, I was given the opportunity to create two new applications for another business unit and decided it was time to try Code First. Code First definitely feels strange to me, as I was brought up to design the database first and work from there. Computers are about data, right? So, why wouldn't you start there when building a new application. But, it's always good to try something new and perhaps gain a fresh perspective. Code First isn't something I expect to use much but, heck, why not give it a try? Okay, first off, all those videos on YouTube where people rip through a Code First example in under ten minutes? Bah. In real life, I'm not working against an instance of LocalDb or SqlExpress -- I'm hitting an instance of a full-fledged SQL Server engine on a server somewhere deep in the bowels of the co...

Disconnecting my regular Dell Inspiron from the monitors and such is a real pain in the neck. Plus, I always like having a backup or second computer in case something happens to the primary. My original backup computer, a stout and reliable Gateway (which used to be my primary until I bought the Dell) died in an unfortunate and probably preventable water-related incident. So, I recently bought a low-end or entry-level notebook computer for travel and to use in demos. Overall, it's been a good experience. The only thing I don't like -- and I'm willing to chalk it up to it's-just-new-and-I'll-get-used-to-it -- is Windows 8.1. I really consider Windows 7 to be the best .NET programming environment. It was snappy, everything was a click away or a command line away, and it was all about just getting work done. Windows 8.1, on the other hand, really wants you to use the Charms and their new Start paradigm. Ugh. Don't give me tiles, don't give me fancy animat...