SharePointFav 1.1
I've released an update to SharePointFav with a few minor changes:
If you already have 1.0 installed, you can simply install over it - your settings file will not be overwritten.
Download:
SharePointFav 1.1
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April 24, 2004
April 20, 2004
Error on Installing OneNote
I mentioned earlier that I had an error finding a file on my install of OneNote. The missing file was SKU0A1.XML. I ignored the file, but I don't know what repercussion it will have. I did have something in Outlook trigger the OneNote install and it asked for that file again.
Did anyone else have this problem?
OneNote SP2 Helpful Tips Section
I missed this when I first installed OneNote 2003 SP1, but Peter Rysavy pointed it out. The OneNote team has helpfully added a OneNote section called "Helpful Tips" where you'll find all kinds of information and guidance on the new features. What a great idea!
OneNote 2003 Service Pack 1 Preview now Available
OneNote 2003 Service Pack 1 Preview just showed up on Microsoft Downloads. I'm still downloading, so I can't comment on what's new/fixed yet.
Update:
Ok, I've had a chance to take a very quick look at it. I had a minor error on install. It couldn't find one of the files. I ended up hitting "Ignore". OneNote works, but I'm sure there's some functionality broken by that missing file.
Here's what's obviously new:
I'm sure there's more, but those are some of the things I found. I'll have to poke around more later. Time to get back to work.
Update 2
More info from Microsoft here. Check out the Product Guide too for more detailed info with screen caps of the new features.
Update 3
Check out what Peter Rysavy is saying about SP1. Looks like he's just as excited as I am. :)
April 19, 2004
My First Bug...
Well, ok, not my first bug (by faaaar), but I've found an issue in SharePointFav where it won't add a URL with a comma to a SharePoint list. I'm working on a fix and will release a replacement executable when ready.
I've also improved usability a bit by changing the Category dropdown to allow selection by clicking anywhere on the control. That was put in there for me, because I'm just too lazy to have to hunt for that little drop-down arrow.
If you're wondering why the configuration of Categories is so darn tedious it's because I still haven't worked out the ideal mechanism for tracking your personal list of SharePoint links lists. Before I implement a nice little GUI to maintain your Categories, I want to think through the possibility of using another SharePoint list to track your links lists. Or maybe I could use a combination of both. I'd welcome any ideas on a nice clean way of managing the whole concept of tracking your collection of SharePoint lists.
Integrating with FireFox/Mozilla Context Menu?
I have SharePointFav integrated with the Internet Explorer context menu, but it would be nice to have it from Mozilla/FireFox as well. I did a bit of preliminary "Googling" to find out how to do this, but so far haven't turned up anything useful. Does anyone out there know where I can find this?
ShavePoint?
Since I started working on SharePointFav, I find myself constantly typing SharePoint as "ShavePoint". For me - a 33 year old going on 17 - that's about once every 3 days. :)
April 18, 2004
SharePointFav 1.0
I've finally got something that I'm ready to release as SharePointFav version 1.0. SharePointFav is a client side application designed to allow you to add an Internet Explorer Favorite URL to a SharePoint list.
First of all, I'll give a bit of background on why I decided to write this program. As I've been working on various parts of the SharePoint platform I've inevitably come across all kinds of helpful web site links. Often, I'll take a URL and forward it to people on the team or add it to our SharePoint Developer Center links list. When I was adding a favorite to a links list one day, I thought, "I should be able to do this directly from Internet Explorer, just like I subscribe to an RSS feed in Newsgator." Thus was born SharePointFav.
Adding a URL to a SharePoint list has several obvious benefits:
Here's how it works. From Internet Explorer, you right-click anywhere on the page that you want to add and select "Add to SharePoint List" from the Internet Explorer context menu. Optionally you can select a snippet of text on the page that can act as a description.
SharePointFav will open with the URL, page title, and your selected Description text already entered.
Select a Category (which represents a SharePoint list that you configure) and click "Add Link". That's it!
The link is now on your SharePoint list ready for you or anyone with permissions to find in SharePoint.
Usage and configuration instructions are included with the installed app.
Requirements
Download
Update Version 1.1 is available here
I've never distributed an application to the general public before, so please give me feedback. I'll be starting on version 2.0 right on the heels of this release with some more advanced functionality. It would be nice to have some nice ideas to add to the pool of options for v.next. Please feel free to email or message me. My email and Messenger are both steve@infotechcanada.com.
April 17, 2004
New Programming Tools
I've been trying out Subversion version control system for a couple of days. What a beautiful system. I tried it on my local machine at first, but this morning got it running on my home domain controller running over Apache 2. Really quite a simple install. I love how easy it is to branch and tag. Since I've never really used CVS before - except to update FreeBSD - this is my first real exposure to using the Copy-Modify-Merge method as opposed to VSS and Vault's Lock-Modify-Unlock. I have to say that I like the SVN approach more than the VS.Net integrated source control providers. I really don't like using VS for managing files, so this allows me to use the IDE for the absolute minimum amount of file management that's required. I'm using TortoiseSVN for accessing the repository. Oh, and the Subversion documentation is great. Maybe we'll give it a try at the office.
I've also been messing with the Microsoft Installer project in VS.Net on and off over the past couple of weeks. I decided this morning that I really don't like it. I'd heard of NSIS - the free installer from Nullsoft - but while researching NSIS, I came across Inno Setup. I heard that Inno is more mature so I downloaded it first (along with ISTool). Within an hour of installing I had a complete installer for my SharePointFav app up and running with all of the features and more that I was trying to include using Microsoft's installer - and without reading a line of Inno Setup documentation!
This puts me almost in position to release my little SharePointFav app this weekend. All I have to do now is write up a simple readme and hack together an icon file.
Update: Hmm.. I just realized that I never learned to spell Tortoise correctly. I've been spelling it wrong all these years. Link updated above.
April 16, 2004
"Reality TV": Am I Missing Something?
Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand people actually having seemingly rational and intelligent conversation about the various "Reality TV" shows that have infested television. I mean, it's like dissecting last night's WWF pay-per-view match as if it were a bona-fide sport. (Not that I esteem professional sports much more highly than professional wrestling, mind you.)
Does anyone actually believe that there's any basis in actual reality to these "Reality" shows? How'd they manage to get every girl from "The Apprentice" to look hot in underwear? I guess they have a side deal with "Extreme Makeover"?
April 14, 2004
Nerd Dinner Motto
Trouble Accessing Windows Update Yesterday
The moment Microsoft released yesterday's security bulletins our IS Team went into high gear applying patches to all our systems internally and externally - as we have always done. (We aren't currently using SUS so we pull our updates down like everyone else - Windows Update.) We had trouble on some systems with having to run a system check several times before it would correctly display the patches that needed to be applied. I attribute this to heavy server load on the Windows Update servers.
Wonderful!!!
Really. That's a great thing. I've never ever seen performance problems on the Windows Update site before. This tells me one thing. People are finally beginning to take these things seriously and responding immediately to install updates. Good stuff.
April 13, 2004
Rename a SQL 2000 Computer
Every time I rename a SQL 2000 computer (yes I do it often in Virtual PC test/demo installs) I lose about 15 minutes hunting for the stored procedure that needs to be run. I should know it off the top of my head now, but I don't. So I'll post it here for my future reference.
sp_dropserver 'old_server_name' go sp_addserver 'new_server_name', 'local'
Restart the SQL service and verify the name change:
SELECT @@SERVERNAME
and
SELECT ServerProperty('ServerName')
Demotivational Posters
This is my favorite.
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
My birthday is coming up soon. Can I have it? Please, please, please?
April 08, 2004
Canadian Government using RSS
Our government has embraced RSS. Cool!
Another New Tablet
I replaced my Acer C300 model TMC301XCi with the beefier TMC302XMi-G. Amanda's getting my "old" one - purchased in November.
The new model has a few improvements:
The screen also feels a bit more "gritty", which makes writing on it a bit easier.
OneNote SP1 Beta This Month?
Yes. According to this. If they improve things in OneNote SP1 as nicely as they did with InfoPath SP1 this should be wonderful. I don't know if it'll be a public beta. I was in the original beta so if it is closed I should get an invite in any case.