MSDN Flash - Volume 20, Number 18: August 22, 2016

Top News Worldwide

Download Team Foundation Server “15” Release Candidate 1
 

Download SQL Server 2016 Developer Edition free for dev and test

Try out the TypeScript 2.0 beta

To make Visual Studio Code your editor of choice, download the updated C/C++ extension

Lightweight Random Number Generation
Despite the existence of the easy to use .NET Random class, there are times you’ll want to write your own random number generator. In this article, James McCaffrey presents four different algorithms for doing so.

EF Core Change-Tracking Behavior: Unchanged, Modified and Added
Julie Lerman examines how the change-tracking behavior of Entity Framework Core differs from that of EF6, pointing out that while much of the syntax and behavior has been replicated, EF Core is a brand new API and should be treated accordingly.

Real-World ASP.NET Core MVC Filters
Filters are a great, often underutilized feature of ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Core MVC. They provide a way to hook into MVC’s action invocation pipeline, which makes them great for pulling common, repetitive tasks out of your actions, as Steve Smith explains.

Introducing the .NET Framework Monthly Rollup
We are making an important change to .NET Framework updates to align with the just-announced Windows Monthly Rollup. Each Monthly Rollup supersedes the last one, so you if you’ve missed the last few months of updates, you only need to install the latest rollup.

Take the C/C++ Cloud Services survey
The C++ team is conducting a survey to better understand the cloud services needs of C++ developers across all platforms. Your input can help improve the experience for C++ developers connecting to cloud services. The survey should take less than 10 minutes.

Developer Productivity in VS 2015 and VS 15
Join Robert Green and Kasey Uhlenhuth , who shows off features to help increase your coding productivity in Visual Studio. Among the things she shows are the C# Interactive window, Quick Launch, Navigate To, IntellliSense improvements, refactorings, and better feedback from the code editor.

Prerequisites for Team Foundation Server “15”
To help people prepare for the coming changes, we’ve produced a couple of documents explaining the requirements for TFS “15”. The first excerpts some of the key differences from TFS 2015. The second tries to capture all of the requirements.

Master Microsoft Certification Exam Prep
Learn proven test-taking strategies and how to get requisite content knowledge and hands-on technology skills. Take a look at the certification study pyramid, check out different kinds of questions, and learn how to be prepared for them.

Standard Template Library Fixes in Visual Studio 2015 Update 3
Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 was released over a month ago. While its release notes mentioned some STL fixes, here’s a comprehensive list.

Commit to Git: Source Control in Visual Studio 2015
Visual Studio 2015 includes full support for Git, the enormously popular source code management system that has upended many traditional options. In this article, Jonathan Waldman covers how Git differs from Team Foundation version control; how to place source code into a Git repository; and how to pull, commit and push code.

Save 45% on all Microsoft Press books & eBooks: get the code
Load your library with new and top-selling titles from Microsoft Press. Buy any two books or eBooks in the store and save 45% when you use code READMORE during checkout. Offer ends September 30, 2016. Shop now.

Events

Emerging Tech Virtual Summit
September 13, 2016, 9:00 A.M.–Noon Pacific Time, online
Join our special event dedicated to exploring how emerging technologies are changing the world. You’ll hear leading researchers on AI, machine learning, IoT, new interfaces, and more.

Microsoft Ignite
September 26–30, 2016, Atlanta, GA
Microsoft Ignite gives you five days of hands-on learning, industry insights, and direct access to product experts – all in one place. Check out the session catalog.

The intersection of tools and technologies – DEVintersection Conference
October 25–28, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
Microsoft Exec VP Scott Guthrie, Corp VP Stephen Guggenheimer, and Scott Hanselman join 100 industry experts navigating new technologies and current products, including ASP.NET Core, Visual Studio “15”, Xamarin, Angular 2, C# 7 and more. Workshop attendees take home cool hardware. Register now.

Resources

Free offers from Microsoft partners
 

Downloads and tools for Windows 10

Get started with app development

Try Microsoft Azure for 1 month free

Microsoft Virtual Academy – new training

Testing tools for web developers

Free Microsoft Press eBooks

TechNet Flash

Get the latest information from Channel 9

Free software and training for startups from Microsoft BizSpark

Code editing tools for building and debugging modern web and cloud applications
 

 
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