/bill's House O Insomnia : Humor, Coding Techniques

Comment of the week - Sql Server Reporting Services vs. Crystal

William — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 05:27:00 GMT

A while ago, I posted this about how much a55 I think Crystal Reports sucks. A long time ago, back at like v.7, I thought Crystal was a decent product. And to be honest, it still is a decent product. But it comes with a lot of baggage and has a lot that just makes it lame. So I had almost total consenus on the Crystal Reports w/ .NET sucks side, I think there are two people that disagree. Ignoring the fact that SSRS is very new product and Crystal has been around forever, I think side by side it's a slam dunk. But one big mouth said this: (NOTE: I'm only posting a comment that was publicly posted on my site. So hopefully the guy won't be a cry baby about it and throw a temper tantrum over it)

"Either you guys are idiots or you have never used Crystal and don't realize the minimal functionality that SQL Reporting Services offers. I have spent the last week evaluating SSRS and am greatly dissapointed. I came up with a list of over 250 items that SSRS could not do. As for all you Access reporters, your probably the only people to ever purchase Microsoft's "Bob" product. "

So the guy claims to know enough about Crystal to have cataloged over 250 features that SSRS doesn't have. That means that including the features he'll admit it does have, he knows way more than 250 features. I think that would qualify you as a fairly advanced Crystal user if you'll pardon the oxymoron. And he spent one week with SSRS. And the only conclusion he can draw is that SSRS is definitely lacking those features and that it couldn't possibly be that he just doesn't know how to use them, right? And far be it from me to say anything positive about Access, but come on, being a hard core Crystal user still means you're the report ***, and that gives you credentials to snob no one. Certainly not Access developers and certainly not Bob users. Is he really claiming Bob was lame but Crystal Reports isn't? Pulllleeezz. But if you read the context of the comments, the people were pointing out that Access, as lame as it is, provides more effective funcionality. The fact this can even be debated speaks volumes don't you think? Is Access supposed to be first and foremost a report writer? Last time I looked it's main purpose was as a relational database (more precisely, a database that anyone can build with, that causes major headaches for the people that will inevitably be brought in to clean up the mess it made) not a report writer. Reports are one of its features but one would certainly expect that a mature product who's sole purpose is report writing ought to be a little better than a RDBMS product with reports added in.

So I offered a challenge, I asked him to post just 20 of his 250 features that CR can do that SSRS can't. I'll see if they really can't be done and post the results. If I'm wrong, I'll admit it. If he's wrong I'll point out what an a33hat he is. I actually believe there are probably 20 or so features missing, but certainly not major ones. Even assuming there were really 250 features missing, how many times do you need 250 features for a report? Typically you need Grouping, Subreporting, charts/graphs, conditional formatting, functions and the like. He didn't comment as to his evaluation of how each stacked up there - for reasons that are obvious. Anyway, I believe his 250+ number about as much as I believe in the easter bunny so although *someone* could probably post 20 things lacking, I doubt he can. One of us is very wrong here and hopefully it's not me. We'll have to wait and see.

Why Avoid Code Behind?

William — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 23:17:00 GMT

I spent the good part of this week debugging and redoing a bunch of ASP.NET code that featured the no code behind approach prominently. It was excrutiating to say the least. I know Boiling Springs' Greatest Unemployed Guru is a big advocate of this approach, but is there really any possible benefit to avoiding Code Behind? If so, please school me because I sure as hell don't see it.

Overriding ToString()

William — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 05:28:00 GMT

I had mentioned reading Effective C#, 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your C# back a few posts ago. So I decided to show off a few of the techniques there as well as some new C# features and began with this post. . Anyway, when I started writing out the examples, I kept adding new things and it started to turn into a really long piece. Well, I need to start at the beginning and just let things go from there, otherwise I'll never get finished. So let's start at the absolute beginning.

I ran through a bunch of my existing code and looked for the number of times I did an override on the ToString() method. Except for a few times when I had a specific need to do so, I didn't find many. Well, if you look at the Framework, it's obvious that many of the classes have an override on the ToString() method and when they do, it's usually quite helpful. I know, this is such an easy thing to do that it barely warrants discussion but I think that the fact that I (and the majority of developers I know as well as the majority of code I've seen) so seldom do it makes it worth emphasizing. If you don't ever do it, it won't have ANY notable effect on the way your code runs. However, it can (and does) make a difference in how user friendly your libraries are to developers using your code.

Stated simply, you don't have to use XML Comments in your class libraries (and until recently, if you used VB.NET, you couldn't unless you wired them in yourself or bought an Add-In), you don't have to use enums to assist users with intellisense, you don't have to overload your constructors or other methods, but it sure makes your code a lot nicer to use if you do. Well, if you look at the original Shocker Class I wrote, I have a override for ToString(). Assuming you passed in “Stink” and “Pink” respectively to the overloaded constructor, you'll see “One in the Stink, Two in the Pink” as the output. However if you comment out the override, you'll DoubleI.TheShocker.Shocker. Outside of the fact that this class was contrived and a bit flippant, the point should be obvious, namely, that you can provide a LOT more useful information than the Namespace.Class.

Outside of the Override though - you can overload the ToString() method and with a little footwork, have a much more user friendly class (the intellisense support alone is worth the price of admission) Anyway, I know this is pretty lame but I'm trying to formulate as many things as I can with a simple example though. By taking full advantage of the XML Comments you can do quite a bit and just a combination like this, of two really simple techniques can make your class a lot more user friendly. And before you call me a l4mer for posting this - hold your horses, I'm going somewhere with this.:

/// <summary>

/// Method to provide a more granular feedback mechanism

/// for the user by specifying what is returned by the ToString()

/// method.

/// </summary>

/// <param name="formatOptions"><see cref="DoubleI.TheShocker.OutPutOptions"/> value

/// allowing the user to specify what they want to show.</param>

/// <returns><see cref="System.String"/> value showing the

/// <see cref="System.String"/> representation corresponding

/// to the <see cref="DoubleI.TheShocker.OutPutOptions"/> specified

/// by the user</returns>

/// <remarks>

/// Values for the <see cref="DoubleI.TheShocker.OutPutOptions"/>

/// parameter are specified below:

/// <list>

/// <item>OutPutOptions.None = 0</item>

/// <item>OutPutOptions.PrivateMembers = 1</item>

/// <item>OutPutOptions.ProtectedMembers = 2</item>

/// <item>OutPutOptions.PublicMembers = 3</item>

/// <item>OutPutOptions.All = 4</item>

/// <item>OutPutOptions.Silliness = 5</item>

/// </list>

/// </remarks>

/// <example>

/// Shocker ShockerSample = new Shocker("Stink", "Pink");

/// Console.WriteLine(ShockerSample.ToString(OutPutOptions.Silliness);

/// //Will yeild "One in the Stink, Two in the Pink

/// </example>

public String ToString(OutPutOptions formatOptions)

{

switch (formatOptions)

{

case OutPutOptions.None:

return "Nice Going A55Munch, this is a useless overload and call";

case OutPutOptions.PrivateMembers:

return String.Format("_oneValue: {0}, _twoValue {1}",

this._oneValue,

this._twoValue);

case OutPutOptions.ProtectedMembers:

return "Bill was lazy and didn't create any protected members yet";

case OutPutOptions.PublicMembers:

return String.Format("OneValue: {0}, TwoValue {1}",

this.OneValue,

this.TwoValue);

case OutPutOptions.All:

return String.Format("_oneValue: {0}, _twoValue {1}"

+ ", OneValue: {2}, TwoValue{3}",

this._oneValue,

this._twoValue,

this.OneValue,

this.TwoValue );

case OutPutOptions.Silliness:

default:

return String.Format("One in the {0}, Two in the {1}",

this.OneValue,

this.TwoValue);

}

Sql Injection Ad Naseaum

William — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 05:24:00 GMT

A while ago Scott had a great post about demo code . So I was reading up on The Bleeding Edge, Never Been Done Before Technology Known As Ajax and started surfing around a little b/c I wanted to get in on the mocumentary action. So I come across Peter's where he warns you not to believe the hype. Peter's got some examples on how to use it and then some d1ckhead points out that his code is vulnerable to Injection Attacks.

This was like a total slashdot comment... Why? Well, it's some really stupid unclever point that has nothing to do with the subject matter at hand. I hate dynamic unparamaterized SQL as anyone, hell I started the club, but this code wasn't about Injection attacks and it was for demo puproses only. Hmm, if we're going to nitpick abotu demo code, then there's a lot more to bitch about. But I personally don't really want to start reading code blocks that comprise 10 lines of actual code but have three try/catch blocks in them which span only one line of code each. This is after all, how we code in production but do we really want to see surgically precise exception handling in demo code? Probably not.

This type of sh1t really actually pisses me off. A while ago, I was at a major conference back when the Compact Framework and the MMIT had just come out. This guy was demoing the IBuySpy stuff on the compact framework w/ Sql Server CE. There were about 300 people in the audience and he starts taking questions. So some d1ckhead says “I think it's totally irresponsible for you, as an expert in the field, to display code that's PARADING security flaws in front of developers who aren't experienced with this technology. Your code is using dynamic sql and is open to an injection attack, and people here will look at your coding style and copy it. So one oversight like this on your part could cause several security problems..”

IT WAS DEMO CODE ON SQL SERVER CE. Hmmm, i have full control of the device and it's a demo anyway and I'm going to use a f~cking injection attack to destroy the db. Boy, that's a 3:33t H4ck for you. And this was probably the samef~cktard that was dissing Peter's example. Everyone knows about injection attacks ok. You don't need to point it out every time someone does a f!cking demo already. Sure, if someone's using it at work, have at it. But for demos, it's acceptable - and TRUST ME, you *DON'T* look smart or security conscious by pointing crap like this out when someone's trying to demo some new stuff for you. It just distracts them and wastes everyone elses time.

This didn't come from the "C#" Group

William — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 23:32:00 GMT

With that as your only hint, want to guess where it *did* come from:

“Hi everyone,

I am a newbee in the .NET world. Please guide me ??

Scenario: I have a master computer, say, m1 in cityA. I have other client
PCs in seperate cities, say, cityB, cityC and cityD. Now I have stores at
the three mentioned client sites.

I want to develop a web application using VB.NET, so that I can sitting at
m1, watch over my stores in the three cities using webcams etc.

Please tell me how to go about it.”

http://www.everythingado.net

William — Sun, 30 Jan 2005 08:45:00 GMT

Well, I finally bit the bullet and purchased my site from Brinkster. I'm going to be hosting blogs for a few of my disaffected DNJ friends - but well, due to the nature of the site - I'm not handing them out to everyone - If I know you, or you can convince me your not a dork, or if you're a dork and can convince me you have some technical content - drop me a line or if you're a regular contributor to a newsgroup that begins with microsoft.public.dotnet.framework - if it ends with compactframework or adonet then you're automatically invited. I'm also going to have a Uncensored portion or which is going to be cool - Bridgette Kerkove, Jenna Jameson, Janine & TS type of cool. I'm debating about how to host the “Unrelated Cool“ content - probably make it restricted access. And on the off chance you're wondering - no, I'm not moving my blog over there. I really dig it here. But I want to do a few things. Sahil already found a good place but it seems DNJ is going to crap these days - I see more Exception messages than I do content since 2005 began. I also want to host a few web services that are public, a few private ones that I can dish out the tokens to if people are interested... etc etc.Part of the reason I want to host my own Text stuff is b/c I want to mod it out - and I can't create skinz and stuff without being an pain in the a33 to the wonderful patron of this site. basically I just want a playground - ADO.NET and Compact Framework oriented - where I and other people that don't write me STUPID hate mail all the time can use.

But the real rub is that it looks like they are going to let me install the 2.0 framework to run some ASP.NET 2.0 and Yukon samples on. Still gotta check with MS and make sure this is ok but I think it will be. If it is, then there's Lot's o Potential. Can't get too into the details now - but using Yukon - there's potentially a much cooler way to send out notifications that articles have been posted, blogs updated, or Bridgette has another movie available. Also, Sonny & EDC the Coding Cuckooz are going to be active in development - and you know what sort of stuff they are interested in. Suffering at the moment from More ideas than ability to stay awake...............

Setting up .Text is a total pain in the a33 - at least so far it has been. It's mainly the web interface and all the f**** sql scripts that I have to run - ONE AT A TIME. Anyway, I'm screwing around with .NET Nuke and one of the starter kits. can't figure out which one I prefer. Feedback is welcome.

I'm also working w/ one of the starter kits but I'm leaning more toward .NET Nuke. Not sure if the hype is real but I hear it is - so sometime tomorrow hopefully I'll have made up my mind. I won't be doing anything other than sitting in my apartment wondering why this whole f~ck1ng city is shut down b/c of 1/2 an inch of snow - so I should get something done.

From Scott - So you want to be an architect

William — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 02:32:00 GMT

Here are the questions :

Here are my answers:

1) I'm with Andy - Fred's gone
2) None of the above - Sir, It already is SOA compliant - however if we want to be trendsetters at the tradeshow instead of hanging on the bandwagon - then we need to allocate some resources my direction. For another 100,000k we can be the first to Roll out Delta Based Architectural Oriented Service Portals
3) Send them in a Room together and tell them that in 4 minutes, I'm coming back and it better be figured out or they'll both be coding in VB6 and will have to use IE2.0 for all of their browsing
4) I already fired Fred but I'd hire him back because he was threatening the technical writers. That's cool. I'd tell Jill that she's right - but what's her point? I'd move harry over to sales, it'd be a match made in heaven. And Jack - well, I'd tell him do as he pleases but we're going to deduct money from his paycheck for the time it takes him to fix a problem not caught by his Regresssion testing.

Again - this was written in VB6

William — Thu, 09 Dec 2004 03:25:00 GMT

This may be the best one I've ever seen