I recently evaluated a great Vue.js plugin (for Vue CLI v. 3.*), it is available in GitHub here. It turns out that among other things, the Vue.js ecosystem, (primarily its core libraries), are an excellent choice for building web/chrome extensions where the UI needs to be scalable in terms of future features and functionality. And so this post explores and investigates Vue ecosystem as a solution stack for building complex and maintainable, cross-browser web extensions.

No doubt, there are some incredible female influencers in the web development space. My last article focused on women who have made big contributions to “Layout and Design”. This article focuses on a few women who are truly gifted in conveying concepts about JavaScript, programming in general, and the Vue.js framework.

Part 1 of a 3 part series featuring talented women in web development. Okay calm down, that headline is purposely indelicate; it’s a shameless attempt to rob your attention! The hotness I’m talking about is way more on the nerdy side of things. Over the last 4 months, I’ve been in a sort of learning growth spurt. Being equally overwhelmed and excited about so many new tools and techniques, .......One interesting observation has been that despite the large gender disparity in IT, I’ve been learning some of the coolest stuff from women.

This post is an introduction to Single Page Application (SPA) architecture with emphasis in REST, Microsoft’s Web API framework and Vue.js. The post references a small Todo application (available on GitHub) and also a live demo. It’s a high level look with links to well-written reference articles. Admittedly, it is written from a .NET and MS slant. The hope is to help those familiar with ASP.NET WebForms and MVC become more familiar with (and excited about) SPA. Ideally, it will help you get started on your own SPA proof-of-concept. This article assumes a basic understanding of Visual Studio and MVC concepts; models, views controllers and actions. An intermediate level in JavaScript and jQuery is also assumed.

Not surprisingly, Chrome Extensions have become very popular. They can add all sorts of nifty functionality to your web browser. Some extensions are designed to work with certain sites and even a specific page. For example, there are about 70 chrome extensions targeting Facebook. Other extensions target the overall browser experience and are not tied to a specific page or site. For example, extension that block advertising, or parental control extensions that block access to porn sites. From dev tools to shopping and social media, from horrible waste of time, to productivity boosting, “how did I live without this”!  At the Chrome Web Store, degrees of quality and functionality run full gamut.

In the not so distant past, admitting a penchant for Microsoft development could get you beat up at Starbucks. This year, has been different. As a Microsoft guy it’s exciting to see 2016 shape up as a watershed year; I dare say the big ship is making a turn. There are truly positive signs for those who endeavor to build better software with Microsoft tools. Here is my list of things that will go a long way in making MS dev-shaming a thing of the past. For me, the topics below share a common vibe, a refreshingly un-Microsoft approach to collaboration and innovation.

A 3 part video series about Business Process Automation (BPA) that discusses what BPA is and how advances in software development are making BPA more available to businesses of all sizes. Part 1 describes BPA in terms of varying business perspectives. Parts 2 and 3 analyze and demonstrate a case study taken from the gas patch of the San Juan Basin.

Ah yes, the ubiquitous tabs control, a pattern no web designer can ignore. Of course it’s a markup metaphor for the old, 3x5 tabbed index cards or tabbed file folders. Although there are many variations, they all generally work the same way, (see demo). They are a great...

Over the last 10 days a town is bidding farewell to 2 extraordinary Dads.  Although I knew neither, I have read every comment from their friends and family that were posted in the local newspaper.  And so with Father’s Day just a week away, my heart is heavy with feelings for the kids now facing the unthinkable void of losing a Dad.Both Tim Cooper and Jeff Kuss died tragically and unexpectedly while....

When I initially heard that Telerik would be adding Excel export functionality to their data grid widget, I was ecstatic. The initial announcement from Telerik did not divulge how much of the grid’s current state would find its way in to the dynamically generated spreadsheet. For example...

This post revisits an old, Classic ASP application that dynamically generated an Excel spreadsheet with two worksheets; one held the data and the other a logarithmic line chart based on the data. This was accomplished by triggering a series of VBS scripts (from IIS) that automated the spreadsheet creation and prepared it for download. It required MS Office and Excel to be installed on the server and in its heyday it bedazzled the engineer who came to rely on it. And when it didn't work, it could lock up the web server and deliver great pain and agony to its developer. Fast forward a few years, (and thanks to .NET, OOXML and HTML5/CSS3), the options....