Learn to write C# the fun way! In this introductory webcast we provide an overview of the topics covered throughout this webcast series. Beginning with an introduction to game programming concepts such as game loops and main game components, we then examine the basic elements of working within the Microsoft Visual C# programming environment. You will also have a chance to catch a glimpse of "Star Trooper" the game project we will build over the course of this series.

May 03, 2005 75 minutes

You have already seen an overview of what will be covered, in this series, during the first webcast. Now we will provide you with a foundation of general programming concepts, as well as focusing on specific programming elements in Microsoft Visual C# Express Edition in the second webcast of this series. Topics being covered include variables, expressions, statements, operators, functions, flow control, classes, arrays, structures and C# types.

May 05, 2005 69 minutes

Building upon the basic programming concepts presented in the previous session, the third webcast in this series focuses on specific game issues including graphics, player input, sound and networking. The discussion covers elements such as 2D/3D graphics, vector versus bitmap graphics, the use of keyboards/mouse/force feedback, audio formats, 3D audio, networking protocols, multiplayer, and peer-to-peer versus client/server networking models.

May 10, 2005 78 minutes

After briefly touching on graphics in the previous webcast, the fourth webcast in this series will focus on a specific graphical element called "sprites." Many games utilize sprites for everything from characters to game meters. This portion of the series looks at how the creation and implementation of animated sprites are incorporated into the game project, including background art production, view ports, definition of frames, frame delay, transparency, and alpha-blending. We then apply these concepts to implement the "main" and "enemy" characters of the game project.

May 12, 2005 74 minutes

Building on the concepts of working with animated sprites introduced in the previous session, this webcast focuses on how to make the sprites move. This webcast looks at topics such as translation, scale, rotation, velocity, and collision, and shows how to use these techniques how to move the "enemy" character in the game project.

May 17, 2005 73 minutes

You learned how to make the sprites move in the previous webcast, this session focuses on how a video game handles player input to create and move a sprite. Learn how to incorporate keyboard input, vector direction, and position into the game project's implementation of main character and enemy movement as well as "shooting bullets."

May 19, 2005 67 minutes

Audio is unquestionably an important aspect to any video game. This session builds upon the previous webcasts and examines the development issues surrounding the implementation of background music and sound effects that are essential to great video games. In addition to these incidental audio elements, you will learn how to implement the score feature into the game project.

May 24, 2005 57 minutes

Continuing the discussion of sprites from the previous sessions, this final webcast in the series goes into more detail regarding sprite behavior and collision detection. Learn how to apply these concepts to the game project's control of enemy behavior as well as bullet behavior.

May 26, 2005 67 minutes

This video introduces developing ASP.NET applications in a shared hosting environment by demonstrating "Live Editing" and "Remote Publication" features in Visual Web Developer 2008.

09 March 2009 46 minutes

This video introduces the exciting new remote management functionality built for the IIS7 manager and illustrates both Server and Client configuration as well as the two different authorization options.

09 March 2009 22 minutes

This video demonstrates how to work with remotely administering SPECFIC web site features with IIS7 remote / delegated administration.

09 March 2009 9 minutes

This video provides you with a quick inventory of tools to troubleshoot your production ASP.NET applications.

09 March 2009 30 minutes

This video demonstrates the provisioning process for new web sites with IIS7.

09 March 2009 8 minutes

FTP7 is new and powerful. This video shows you how to get it up and running!

09 March 2009 8 minutes

This video will teach how to install and configure a great new IIS7 feature – Bit Rate Throttling. With BRT you can serve media files or big downloads without ruining your sites UI performance.

09 March 2009 7 minutes

If you're hosting media files on your web site, play lists will let you define sequences for your media and optionally prevent users from skipping parts of the content (like ads or disclaimers).

10 March 2009 9 minutes

This first webcast in our series on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services provides a high-level overview of its capabilities, and helps identify opportunities for incorporating Reporting Services into your business environment. We begin by briefly discussing the history of Reporting Services and the architecture upon which it is built. We cover subscriptions, the various solution types available, and options for embedding reports in applications. Learn about licensing, requirements, installation, and the features and reporting lifecycle of the Reporting Services platform. The session concludes with a look at some simple report examples, and establishes the basis for further exploration throughout the rest of the series.

May 11, 2006 78 minutes

This second webcast in our series on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services covers the fundamentals of report design, and shows how to use simple design tools. We explore the Report Wizard and the building blocks of report design, report items and layout. The discussion covers grouping, lists, matrix reports, and defining drill-through reports. We also explain how to write custom code to extend formatting and apply business logic. The session concludes with a look at how to define queries, datasets, and parameters to filter data.

May 18, 2006 67 minutes

The third webcast in this series on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services explores the platform for defining ad hoc reports. Effective report models are key to enabling end users to create meaningful reports. We begin with an examination of the Report Builder Model Designer tool and discuss strategies for building successful models. From there, we show you how to easily format, sort, and filter data, and perform calculations. We conclude with a look at some of the different ways you can manage Report Builder models and reports.

May 24, 2006 69 minutes

This fourth webcast in this series on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services explores the different options for delivering and deploying reports to end users. Learn about the different methods of report delivery, and the multiple formats available. We look at the mechanisms for pull delivery, including Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 integration, the Reporting Services Web service, and URL access. We then show how to create a subscription for a push delivery, and conclude with a look at using Windows Forms controls to deliver reports locally to users.

June 07, 2006 73 minutes

This fifth webcast in our series on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services addresses the issues surrounding effective Reporting Services administration. The discussion covers topics such as configuration, management, and security, and describes how to automate common administrative tasks.

June 14, 2006 64 minutes

This concluding webcast in our series on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services addresses two areas: integrating Reporting Services into custom applications, and extending Reporting Services. Learn how to add code to a report, use the Reporting Services Web service as a data source, and create a custom data source. We show how Reporting Services is a flexible reporting tool that can easily be incorporated into different applications. We also examine Reporting Services as a robust and scalable product by looking at extensibility options and how to create custom extensions.

June 21, 2006 62 minutes

In Part 1 of this webcast series, you have the opportunity to put together the basic user interface design for the game and learn the fundamentals of Windows Presentation Foundation.

May 2, 2006 60 minutes

In Part 2 of this webcast series, you get to practice creating the Sudoku game classes and binding the user interface to the game logic through a custom control.

May 4, 2006 60 minutes

In Part 3 of this webcast series, you learn how to make your Sudoku game look cool by adding features such as animation, skinning, and user interface effects.

May 8, 2006 60 minutes

In Part 4 of this webcast series, you get experience with creating more complex custom controls for your Sudoku game. We also show you how to build a security-conscious plug-in system to implement various Sudoku-solving algorithms.

May 10, 2006 60 minutes

In Part 5 of this webcast series, you learn how to build an interface for your Sudoku game to load and benchmark multiple AIs, as well as a custom graphing component that compares the AIs.

May 12, 2006 60 minutes

A. What is DarkGDK?
B. How can DarkGDK make game programming easier?
C. Installing Visual C++ Express and DarkGDK
D. Game and resource files

November 6, 2008 60 minutes

In this webcast, we examine the fundamental structure and flow of the game we are pulling apart in this six-part series. We explore items like the overall flow of the game, the separate sections of the game structure, and the logic that holds it all together. This is essentially a description of the game chassis.

November 17, 2008 60 minutes

In this webcast, we cover the actual game levels and explain how the level loop differs from the game loop. We also describe controlling the player object, player weapon, bullets, and collisions with the game bounds. At the end of this webcast, we have things happening on the screen with interactions.

November 20, 2008 60 minutes

In this webcast, we cover the enemies in the game, explain the way they are set up and handled, and describe how they are controlled by the simplest of game artificial intelligence (AI). We explore how inter-enemy collisions and responses work and show how the player bullets interact with the enemies. At the end of this webcast, we will have the makings of our game as the player faces the enemy for the first time.

December 4, 2008 60 minutes

In this webcast, we cover the explosion effects in the game and examine how sounds are triggered by the various game elements. We also explore how to display information on-screen for things like scoring and explain how to control them with simple function calls.

December 11, 2008 60 minutes

Join us for this final installment of our six-part webcast series to learn how to set the difficulty curve of the game and make levels. We also discuss testing the game, making final adjustments to the game, and getting it ready for release. We explore how to take the game further with simple expansion possibilities. We finish with the idea that you are now better equipped to tackle a similar game yourself in C++ and DarkGDK.

December 12, 2008 60 minutes

This initial webcast provides an introduction to the 3-D pipeline, including 3-D technical terms and the different stages and algorithms to use. Learn how to use projection and ray tracing methods, too.

January 16, 2006 60 minutes

This session on the 3-D engine is split across two webcasts that cover 3-D game element issues such as game loop, input, collision, behavior, rendering, and sound. Participants set up the Microsoft Visual C# project and learn how to use the 3-D C# template while the instructor describes the 3-D engine structure.

January 17, 2006 60 minutes

This session on the 3-D engine is split across two webcasts that cover 3-D game element issues such as game loop, input, collision, behavior, rendering, and sound. Participants set up the Microsoft Visual C# project and learn how to use the 3-D C# template while the instructor describes the 3-D engine structure.

January 18, 2006 60 minutes

This session is split across two webcasts that cover background display, camera control, object animation, and object control. At the end of these two webcasts, the user should be able to display a background and a character, add and control the camera, and also add and control characters or objects.

January 23, 2006 60 minutes

This session is split across two webcasts that cover background display, camera control, object animation, and object control. At the end of these two webcasts, the user should be able to display a background and a character, add and control the camera, and also add and control characters or objects.

January 24, 2006 60 minutes

This particular webcast explains how to handle object/background and object/object collision in your game.

January 25, 2006 60 minutes

This webcast focuses on handling artificial intelligence (AI) in your games. Simple artificial intelligence (AI) based on Dx/Dy and time, and also shortest path AI based on a graph is presented to control characters in the provided game example.

January 30, 2006 60 minutes

In this webcast, participants create additional skill levels for their games and learn about how to make the main character jump using a table-based approach and a physics-based approach.

January 31, 2006 60 minutes

In this webcast, participants are introduced to game play tuning elements for the project, including character game variables such as lives and speed, and also enemy variables such as respawning and speed. This webcast focuses on handling game play in your game.

February 1, 2006 60 minutes

This webcast focuses on developing your game’s user interface (UI). Find out how to implement a menu system for your game that contains the standard options such as Play, Instructions, and Exit.

February 6, 2006 60 minutes

This final webcast in the series provides an introduction to effects used in games including blending, shadows, lighting, and sound. We also focus on handling the miscellaneous effects in your game.

February 7, 2006 60 minutes

Web parts make it possible to create components of a Web UI that can be reused on multiple Web pages. These are introduced in ASP.NET and built in SharePoint Products and Technologies, where they can be added to pages by users and managed by IT professionals. Join this webcast to learn how to build simple Web parts and how to connect them back to site data.

Presenter: Robert L. Bogue, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Thor Projects, LLC

May 20, 2008 60 minutes

Data lists provide data storage for users in SharePoint Products and Technologies. Users can create lists with schema all through the UI and they can create, edit, and view the data. All of this data can be programmatically accessed by developers and this webcast is all about that.

Presenter: Robert L. Bogue, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Thor Projects, LLC

May 21, 2008 60 minutes

Microsoft Silverlight is a new Web UI technology that enables the implementation of animations and video. In this webcast, we show how a SharePoint Products and Technologies UI can be enhanced by using Silverlight in Web parts as part of a site.

Presenter: Andrew Connell, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Independent Consultant

May 27, 2008 60 minutes

Event handlers (or event receivers) are custom code that run on SharePoint Products and Technologies in response to something that happens on the server. Event handlers can be useful for running business logic in response to data being added to the site. In this webcast, we show how to create simple event handlers and investigate ways that you can use them.

Presenter: Andrew Connell, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Independent Consultant.

May 28, 2008 60 minutes

Web applications need design, and SharePoint Products and Technologies makes this possible with master pages, cascading style sheets, and themes. In this webcast, we explore how to apply these artifacts and describe the process for modifying those artifacts to achieve a Web site design using SharePoint Products and Technologies.

Presenter: Andrew Connell, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Independent Consultant

June 03, 2008 60 minutes

Workflows make it possible to implement processes that require interaction, such as e-mail approval or form completion, by people in your organization. In this webcast, we show you how to use the Microsoft Visual Studio development system to create simple workflows in SharePoint Products and Technologies that involve approvals from people by e-mail and for meeting room resource bookings with an administrator.

Presenter: Robert L. Bogue, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Thor Projects, LLC

June 4, 2008 60 minutes

SharePoint Products and Technologies make it possible to allow list data access using code running on the server machine and also using Web services. In this webcast, we cover some of the simple Web services provided by SharePoint Products and Technologies and show how to create a new Web service on a computer.

Presenter: Andrew Connell, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Independent Consultant

June 10, 2008 60 minutes

In this session, we look at how pages in SharePoint Products and Technologies are arranged into Web sites. We explain menus, such as the site actions menu, the top navigation bar menu, and the edit control block menu. We also discuss how to update the menus so that you can customize a Web site built on SharePoint Products and Technologies.

Presenter: Andrew Connell, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Independent Consultant

June 11, 2008 60 minutes

SharePoint Products and Technologies make it possible for users to create Web sites; when a user creates a site, he or she can also manage the user permissions on that site. In this webcast, we show how some aspects of user management are handled, including how you can audit activities that users do and show different data depending on the user's role.

Presenter: Robert L. Bogue, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Thor Projects LLC

June 17, 2008 60 minutes

Content types define what documents or other content types are used in SharePoint Products and Technologies document libraries. Content types can have several aspects associated with them, including custom menus and custom processing. In this webcast, we show how to create a custom content type and explain how to associate an event handler with the new content type to do data validation.

Presenter: Robert L. Bogue, Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server, Thor Projects LLC

June 18, 2008 60 minutes

LINQ stands for Language Integrated Query and it allows you to query over things like objects, databases and XML in a standard way with a new syntax available in the latest versions of Visual Basic and C#. In this Webcast you will learn how to get started writing LINQ queries using the simple but powerful query syntax available in Visual Basic. We'll walk through a variety of basic queries as well look at aggregates and groups over different data sources. You will also see how writing queries over XML using specific Visual Basic syntax like XML literals and axis properties can help you be much more productive when working with XML.

Presenters: Beth Massi is a Program Manager on the Visual Studio Community Team.

March 14, 2008 60 minutes

The Microsoft .NET Language Integrated Query, code-named the “LINQ” project, is a set of extensions to the Microsoft .NET Framework that encompass language-integrated query, set, and transform operations. LINQ extends Microsoft Visual C# and Visual Basic with native language syntax for queries and provides class libraries to take advantage of these capabilities. In this session, we cover some of the basics of LINQ and explore the key LINQ-related components, such as:
• BLINQ – A tool for generating Microsoft ASP.NET Web sites for displaying, creating, and manipulating data based on database schema
• LINQ to SQL (formerly DLINQ) – A specialized API for accessing Structured Query Language (SQL) relational databases
• LINQ to XML (formerly XLINQ) – A lightweight, rational, and simple API for manipulating XML

Presenter: Anand "AI" Iyer, Developer Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation

November 02, 2006 63 minutes

This web cast will dive into details how the LinQ features work. In the process, we will discuss anonymous types, type inference, inline functions, extension methods, and how these features work together to give you the LinQ experience. In addition, we will demo how these features can be used independently to help you build your applications quicker and with less code.

Presenters: Amanda Silver is a Program Manager on the VB team.

May 09, 2007 58 minutes

This web cast extends the SQL and LinQ web cast by showing you how to use the new OR designer to build applications that take advantage of LinQ to SQL.

Presenters: Young Joo is a Program Manager on the VB team.

May 02, 2007 64 minutes

This web cast will explore best practices for writing easy to read, consumable queries, including naming, usage, and performance ideas.

Presenters: Lisa Feigenbaum is a Program Manager on the VB team.

June 13, 2007 55 minutes

Language Integrated Query (LINQ) provides the ability to write query expressions directly within Microsoft Visual C# or Visual Basic. LINQ makes it significantly easier to query and access all types of data. During this session, we introduce you to LINQ and teach you about several different flavors of LINQ, including LINQ to Objects and LINQ to XML.

Presenter: Rob Bagby, Developer Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation

February 28, 2008 60 minutes

Microsoft .NET Language Integrated Query (LINQ) provides a common way to work with data in your applications. In this session, we dive into how LINQ provides methods to work with Structured Query Language (SQL) databases, including how to query, insert, and manage data using the LINQ framework.

Presenter: Mike Benkovich, MSDN Developer Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation

September 10, 2007 64 minutes

Think you have heard all there is to know about Microsoft .NET Language-Integrated Query (LINQ)? Think again! In this webcast, we dazzle and amaze you with our staggering array of wondrous tools to make your LINQ experience a memorable one!

Presenter: Zain Naboulsi, Developer Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation

April 17, 2008 90 minutes

In other sessions, we explored how Microsoft .NET Language Integrated Query (LINQ) is used for Structured Query Language (SQL) databases and working with XML. In this webcast, we connect to the data access layer, the business objects that provide the functionality of working with enterprise data. Join us to learn how you can make your LINQ applications really sing when working with entities.

Presenter: Mike Benkovich, MSDN Developer Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation

September 24, 2007 62 minutes

In other sessions, we have already seen how Microsoft .NET Language Integrated Query (LINQ) works with relational databases. In this webcast, we explore how LINQ can help you develop XML applications. We cover the basics of the XML helper functions, and we also dive into deeper topics.

Presenter: Mike Benkovich, MSDN Developer Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation

September 17, 2007 64 minutes