Command Query Separation to better manage Async and Caching for Performance

I have done a fair bit of reading and experimenting with a concept people call "CQS" or "CQRS". For a good discussion about the possible difference see Greg Young's post. From here on in I am going to assume they are the same thing for simplicity.

I am not going to do an in depth post about why you should or should not use this pattern/concept, I will only provide an overview. I am however going to show you one common application where I have found it brings great benefits using an ASP.NET MVC Web Application which relies heavily on server side caching of data and async controllers.

Time management tip - "Getting things done" method

I was speaking to a couple of people recently about a book I read recently called "Getting things done" by David Allen.
(http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280)

It is a very good read but basically it's a "program" you follow in order to get all your "todo" lists into one place and how to manage your tasks.

Run PowerShell from .NET program without System.Management.Automation

I have run into the problem a couple of times where it's not "easy" to add a reference to System.Management.Automation in order to execute PowerShell scripts from .NET code.  I found a way around it which works for simple scenarios where you might just want to execute some script and read the standard output plus error output.

Side Project: Website for Milliner

I built a web presence for a client who creates custom millinery, mostly headwear and some jewellery.  She had a business card and a facebook page but that was it.

Performance Profiling Console (or Win/WPF) Applications

Performance is a big factor in a successful project - especially in the Health Industry.  Clinicians do not want to be waiting for software to run, they are busy saving lives!

There is a great tool I am sure most ASP.NET and ASP.NET MVC developers are using called MiniProfiler.  If you are not using it - I highly recommend getting it installed today, even if just in your development environment (although I always have it running in test and production but restrict access to developers and some trusted power users).

Time management tip – Define Success

I do not claim to be an expert in time management; I feel that it’s always something I can improve on.  However someone at work did comment on the perception that I seem to get a lot done, even though my backlog of work is always huge.  I think that perception causes me to get more work as people keep loading it on thinking I am getting through it all – but that is a separate issue!

I thought I might try to document some time management tips I consciously use after reading quite a few books and blogs on the topic and trying different techniques myself.

Move TFS 2010 Project Collection Database to Different SQL Server

If you started using TFS 2010 on a single server then you might get to a point where you want to move one or more Project Collection databases off that server.  The reaons for that could be improved performance, or that you installed SQL Express and your database hit the 4GB limit (now 10GB).