IE, appendChild, setAttribute, CSS Class

I want to add a star to the end of a label for mandatory fields in the DOM.

.mandatoryIndicator { font-color: red; }

var star = document.createElement("span");
star.setAttribute("class","mandatoryIndicator");
star.innerHTML = " *";
label.appendChild( star );

The above code doesn't work in IE, the star is added, but it remains the default text colour.

I did a bit of hunting around and found out the problem is actually with setAttribute.  It doesn't work with half a dozen properties on the element.

The fix is actually quite easy, use this:

var star = document.createElement("span");
star.className = "mandatoryIndicator";
star.innerHTML = " *";
label.appendChild( star );

Anonymous Type of an existing type

I find the .NET anonymous type a bit weak in terms of a few more features:

1. Can't inherit/implement an existing type
   var x = new : IMyInterface {
      Number = 1,
      Name = "Hi",
   };
   
2. Can't add methods
   var x = new {
      Number = 1,
      Name = "Hi",
      Action = delegate(object o){ return true; },
   }

I guess anonymous types are purely for quick throw-away data constructs.  I might just as well write a class directly with all the stuff I wanted.

Embedded WebResource

The job of a framework library is to provide a basic package of necessary services and components.

In ASP.NET, being a web application, the UI portion of the framework has to provide not only server side code, but also CSS, JavaScript and image files.

ASP.NET 2.0 made it easy with the WebResourceAttribute.  And I was hunting for a bug today:

Page.ClientScript.RegisterClientScriptResource(GetType(),
"My.Framework.Web.UI.Pages.Collapse.js");

We have this bit of code on the masterpage in the framework, as soon as we use this in applications it stops working.

We get a 404, "invalid webresource request".

The issue actually was quite easy to fix once we what the Type argument was for.  It's for ASP.NET to work out which assembly to look for the resource.

Page.ClientScript.RegisterClientScriptResource(typeof(ATypeInTheFrameworkAssembly), "My.Framework.Web.UI.Pages.Collapse.js");

Which fixed the problem.

Writing XML docs for JavaScript

One of the really nice thing about self-documenting code came from (as far as I'm aware, although they probably borrowed it from elsewhere) Java's javadoc.  In .NET this was again borrowed.

I've read a few articles recently about VS.NET 2008 inferring javascript 'doc' from javascript code, and it got me thinking.

At the end, the purpose of self-documenting code is so that fellow developers (most likely your colleagues working late or a maintainer a few years later) don't have to second-guess what a method is doing.  And you really don't want them to be calling you at 11pm in the evening.  It stuffs you up for the evening and it makes you guilty that they are still at work that late.

There are two links I've read that talks in detail how intellisense for javascript is produced from reading javascript.  I'll link them below.

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/06/21/vs-2008-javascript-intellisense.aspx

http://weblogs.asp.net/bleroy/archive/2007/04/23/the-format-for-javascript-doc-comments.aspx 

Both are very fascinating.  Ideally javascript libraries like JQuery or Prototype (and others) should implement code commenting, as they ship with a compressed version anyway that has all the commenting stripped.

Perhaps it's possible to 'inject' code comments into jquery source code from their online API:

1. download latest jQuery.Uncompressed
2. grab a copy of the jQuery API
3. for each function in jQuery js - following the rules from bleroy above, insert API
4. happy jQuery intellisense in VS.NET 2008 :-)
5. commit to internal source control
6. repeat process for each new version of jQuery

jliu

Cool bits about Office Communicator

Our regular morning project scrum was cancelled for today, as I went back to my desk, I noticed that my Office Communicator has updated my status to "In a meeting". 

I checked my team members, theirs were updated too.

It knows this because Outlook told it about my calendar!

Another thing I liked was how you can add Active Directory groups (or possibly any outlook groups) directly as contact lists.  Which saves you the problem of adding new people (and possibly removing/maintaining your list).

That's very cool integration.  Well done MS.

C# Generic TryParse Extension method

public static T? TryParse<T>(this object obj) where T : struct
{
if (obj == null) return null;

T? result = null;
TypeConverter converter = TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(typeof(T));
if (converter != null)
{
try
{
           // result = (T)converter.ConvertFrom(obj);
           string str = obj.ToString(); 
           result = (T)converter.ConvertFromString(str);
}
catch (Exception)
{
}
}
return result;
}

To use this baby:

decimal? d = obj.TryParse<decimal>();
int? i = obj.TryParse<int>();
DateTime? dt = obj.TryParse<DateTime>();

object = null.TryParse<string>();

here's some more craziness...

public static T? TryParse<T>(this object obj, Func<Exception, T?> repairFunc) where T : struct
// repairFunc to handle what happens during an exception.

Source code merge program

A good source code merge program is different from a basic text merge program.  A source code merge program needs to understand that it is computer code it's merging.

This affects how the merge program's behaviour when it comes to:

• Code blocks
• comment blocks
• Refactoring
• File headers
• Indentation
• Matching brackets }

jliu

Total disconnection in a large company

HR is an interesting business, here's how I see it (fails to) work:

Client: Your consultant X is fantastic, he's a legend.
Team Lead: He's an asset to the company.

Performance Review: Fantastic but there's room to grow.

Salary Review: Here's your below market average salary raise.

I'm at a stage in my life where choices are hard, and I think it will only get harder as I go.  I have a bit of money saved up.  The industry is nearing its peak.  I think it is time to take the dive and run my own business.

I vote with my feet.

Good bye!  Thanks for all the fish.

The funkiness that is LINQ.Contains

Ok, I'm running into brick walls.

I'm trying to do this:

from p in Products
join i in new[] {1,2,3}
on p.Id equals i
select p

I get

NotSupportedException 
Local sequence cannot be used in LINQ to SQL implementation of query operators except the Contains() operator.

I try again with this:

from p in Products
where ( new[] {1,2,3}).Contains (p.Id )
select p

Woot got some data back in LinqPad.

Tried this in actual code...

IList<int> ids = new List<int>(new[] {1, 2, 3});
IQueryable<Product> product =
from p in Products
where ids.Contains(p.Id)
select p;

I get

Method 'Boolean Contains(Int32)' has no supported translation to SQL.

But it just worked in LinqPad...

Try again:

IEnumerable<int> ids = new int[] {1, 2, 3};
IQueryable<Product> product =
from p in Products
where ids.Contains(p.Id)
select p;

Bingo.

So summary:

In LINQ, IEnumerable.Contains is only implemented for the IEnumerable interface and not the IList interface.  Seems obvious now in hindsight.