Category Archives: Data

Building A Generic SQLite Repository

In a recent project, I found myself needing multiple, seemingly unrelated databases.  It was crazy to copy and paste the code for such basic operations as getting all the data, etc., so the obvious alternative was a generic repository, and … Continue reading

Posted in C#, Data, Essentials, Xamarin | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Building A Generic SQLite Repository

Kendo UI & Dynamic Data: Solution 1

We’d like to display dynamic data in our view. For example, we might create a set of CheckBoxes on the fly, depending on data from the server. There are many good reasons to do so, not the least of which … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Kendo UI | 22 Comments

Pluralsight Course: Windows 8 From Start to Store

Shameless self-promotion warning! I have released my first (but not last) Pluralsight course, Windows 8 From Start To Store .  This XAML and C# – based course covers everything from design fundamentals to data to getting your app in the … Continue reading

Posted in Community, Data, Design, Essentials, Learning, News, Tools and Utilities, Windows 8, WinRT | 1 Comment

Windows 8–Let Templates Simplify the Search Contract

In a previous post, I showed a bit about how to implement the Search contract.  Once you understand the changes to Package.appxmanifest and App.xaml.cs, however, you can save yourself the bother of mucking about with these, and let the template … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Mini-Tutorial, Windows 8 | Tagged | 3 Comments

Win 8 – Conference Buddy. Storing to Local or Roaming Files

In a previous post, I explained how to store data to a “known location” such as the My Documents folder. Often, however, you will want to store local data to a subfolder of AppData on the user’s disk. This is … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Mini-Tutorial, Windows 8 | Tagged | 14 Comments

Using the Grid App Template in Windows 8

Microsoft Visual Studio offers a number of templates for building Windows 8 applications. In most of my postings, we’ve been using the Blank application template, but the Grid App template is extremely powerful.  Unfortunately, it is not obvious how to … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Essentials, Mini-Tutorial, Windows 8 | Tagged | 1 Comment

Windows 8–Conference Buddy. Reading JSON From A File

I’d like to have a page in Conference Buddy that lists all the customer contacts.  We’re currently writing these contacts to file in JSON format as described in this article.  My goal for today is to read that file and … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Essentials, Mini-Tutorial, Windows 8 | Tagged | 3 Comments

Windows 8 GridView, ListView and SnapView

In a previous posting I demonstrated how you can create a powerful display of grouped data using the GridView, which is typically used to fill the screen.  Every Windows 8 application must also support SnapView, however, in which your application … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Mini-Tutorial, Styles and Templates, Windows 8 | Tagged | 1 Comment

Windows 8–Search Suggestions

I recently started a series of postings from my tour of presentations in Europe and the UK.  Today I’d like to return to Searching (which I started to cover here), and this time take a look at what it takes … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Essentials, Metro, Mini-Tutorial, Windows 8, WinRT | Tagged | 7 Comments

Yet Another Podcast #76–Glenn Block on Node.js & Technology in China

Talking with Glenn Block, Senior Program Manager for Microsoft currently working in Shanghai China and Jon Galloway, Technical Evangelist for Microsoft, about Node.js and about life in China.   Listen | Yet Another Podcast  

Posted in Data, JavaScript, Observations, Open Source, Patterns & Skills | Tagged | 3 Comments

Windows 8 & Data Binding. Part 5–Binding to Lists

In Part 4 of this mini-series on data binding we looked at Data Conversion. Today we look at binding a UI Element to a list of objects. The trick in binding to a list, is to teach the control how … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Mini-Tutorial, Windows 8 | Tagged | 3 Comments

Windows 8 & Data Binding. Part 4–Data Conversion

In Part 3 of this little mini-series on data binding in Windows 8 we looked at Element Binding. Today, we’ll take a look at Data Conversion. At times the data in your business object (the source for your binding) and … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Essentials, Mini-Tutorial, Windows 8 | Tagged | 1 Comment