System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException when opening a visual studio web project

I'm in the middle of installing everything to get my new laptop (still not working right) , and came across a problem where I couldn't open a particular web project in the solution.

"System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException"

First thing I did was opening the project file in notepad and grab the project type guid:

{349c5851-65df-11da-9384-00065b846f21} - Ah ha!  Web Application Project

There's a few things you need to open this project on Vista:

1. You'll need IIS with IE6 Metabase and IIS 6 configuration compatibility

2. Run VS.NET as administrator

3. Find out the project's

Alternatively, you can install VS.NET 2008 SP1 and the messages will be a bit more friendlier.

jliu

jQuery + Microsoft

I had the opportunity to work a lot with jQuery at a project during 2007-2008.  Back in those days, we were mixing a lot of the jQuery code with ASP.NET controls.

Some things worked well, other bits were hard.  Sometimes there were a lot of head scratching.

One thing remained true:
jQuery made working with JavaScript fun.

I hesitated a bit on recommending jQuery on my next project, but once you've done jQuery it's hard to not work with jQuery - secretly I lamented having to write JavaScript the old way.

Over the weekend, ScottGu and Scott Hanselman both announced Microsoft will be making jQuery part of the official dev platform.  With stronger support for VS.NET, and will be shipping with ASP.NET MVC

I was reminded of my post earlier in the year.

Writing XML docs for JavaScript

Looks like MS will be doing one of my todo's for me :-)

Cheating Live ads

I try to use Live Search (people think I'm crazy).  I figure if I use it enough it'll learn and become a better search engine.

I was looking for Flight Centre today - and this came up in the ads.

I clicked the second one - thinking that was the right address.  Turns out that was a trick and I was sent to EscapeTravel.com.au

/slap

1. The advertising should NEVER had allowed the ad to have a subject of a different company's URL
2. The advertiser should have the decency to not to impersonate someone else's URL

Bad Live search.
Bad Overture.
Bad Escape Travel.

Sharing a little gem - ASP.NET Javascript String.format

When you are working with ASP.NET 2.0, Microsoft injects quite a bit of Javascript framework stuff.  Most ASP.NET developers don't dive into these libraries and thus never know the gems that Microsoft has added in their Javascript framework.

I'm just going to share a little gem today, Microsoft has implemented a full version of the String.format in Javascript - in the same style as the .NET counterpart.

So in Javascript, you can do:

String.format( "{0:d}", new Date() );

or

String.format( "{0:c}", 100 );

Do watch out these values are localized to your current culture - whether it's [en] or [en-us] or [en-au], these are set in your browser's settings.

Have fun!

jliu

New MacBook to have glass trackpad (End of September)

Source
http://blogs.computerworld.com/rumor_macbook_updates_to_include_glass_trackpad_other_goodies

I've got to say the multi-touch glass screen on the iPhone is pretty neat - and I've seen the multi-tracking trackpad on the macbook.  Trisnadi Kurniawan (we call him Tristan) owns one.  Couple of other guys in the office already have, or are getting their MacBooks soon and dual boots daily.

Personally I'm still not convinced the MacBook is worth twice the cost of other notebooks such as offerings from Dell, Acer or Asus.  A typical dual-core laptop with 4GB ram and readyboost should be able to handily out perform a MacBook any day.

But anyway, with all the chatter about touch trackpads, here's my prediction for 2010:

Year 2010, Steve Jobs unveils the MacBook Super Touch Pro.  There is no keyboard or trackpad for this MacBook, the touch keyboard functions as:

• on screen keyboard + trackpad
• artpad
• finger print scanner
• a numeric keypad is available and slides in from the right (or left-hand) with a simple swipe gesture
• additional keys can be added and removed from the virtual keyboard
• keys can be resized.  commonly used keys have a slightly larger detect surface - but you won't see it because SteveJ would rather die than to show a keyboard with non-identical-sized keys.
• the keyboard is backlit (or how else would you be able to see the keys)
• There is no gap between the keys so dirt can't get in
• Water / coffee resistant
• The thickness of the MacBook is further reduced down to 2cm.  Making this the Thinnest Laptop Ever (tm).
• The MacBook dissipates some of the heat via the glass keyboard panel so it keeps your hands warm in the winter.
• The two areas where the palm rests can be configured to show your todo-list, mail inbox, ipod play list, or photos of your loved ones (defaults to your idol SteveJ of course).

In other news, Microsoft complained that this was the same surface technology they've demo'ed 5 years ago in 2005 (but never worked out how to sell it properly).

In yet more other news, Homer complains that he can no longer use the drinking bird to press the Y-key on his MacBook.  Because the keyboard detects human touch only.

jliu