Recent Discussions
What Is the GitHub Copilot Certification and Why It Matters for Developers
In the ever-evolving world of software development, AI-powered tools are taking centre stage. Among them, GitHub Copilot has become a significant player. But what exactly is the GitHub Copilot Certification, and why should developers care? Let’s dive in. https://dellenny.com/what-is-the-github-copilot-certification-and-why-it-matters-for-developers/
Orchard Harvest Community Conference
Hello everyone! I would like to invite you to our Orchard Harvest Conference, which is the annual gathering of the Orchard Core community. For those who may be new to Orchard Core, Microsoft Orchard is an open-source content management system (CMS) and web application framework that allows developers to build websites, blogs, and web applications. It provides a modular and extensible architecture that allows developers to create custom features, themes, and modules to suit their specific needs. The Orchard Harvest conference will be in https://www.hotelbotanique.com/meetings/magnolia/ in Prague on the 11th and 12th of November. It's going to be a great opportunity to share knowledge, talk about development plans and ideas, and foremost, meet the rest of the worldwide community. In addition to the presentations and networking opportunities, Orchard Harvest provides a unique platform for developers, designers, and users to connect, learn, and contribute to the ongoing development of Orchard Core. You can get your ticket and find more details here: https://orchardcore.net/harvest We can't wait to see you at Orchard Harvest!
PowerShell hosting in C#
Don't know if this is the correct place to post my question... I want to use the PowerShell 7 cmdlet Get-ClusterResource in C# under Windows 11, like this: using System.Collections.ObjectModel; using System.Management.Automation; namespace PSHosting; class Program { static void Main() { using (var powerShell = PowerShell.Create()) { powerShell.AddScript("Get-ClusterResource -Cluster 'WSFC1'"); Collection<PSObject> result = powerShell.Invoke(); } } I have the RSAT FailoverCluster Windows package installed. When calling Get-ClusterResource in a PowerShell session, PowerShell uses the implicit remoting technique to create and load a proxy module for the original FailoverCluster module, and then execute the command on the remote computer. At some point during my attemps to get a working Get-ClusterResource in my C# code, I included the following in the above code (before the using statement): A Set-ExecutionPolicy command that lets PowerShell execute arbitrary scripts (most probably required because module loading (see below) and/or implicit remoting would run .ps1 and/or .psm scripts contained in the FailoverCluster module folder) An Import-Module command that loads the FailoverCluster module into the current session Interestingly, the above code still works in my environment after stripping the commands 1. and 2. above from the code, deleting the proxy module C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Temp\remoteIpMoProxy_FailoverClusters_2.0.0.0_localhost_<ID>, and rebooting the computer. My ultimate goal is to publish code like the above together with all required modules and other stuff so it can run successfully on a computer with stock Windows 11 installed only (single exception: .NET runtime matching my C# version is installed, so I don't need to distribute that too). From what I think I know at the moment, this means that I need to: Include the FailoverCluster module folder in my publication, and Add the commands 1. and 2. above in my code (hopefully, referencing the FailoverCluster module works with a relative path) Am I correct here, or do I miss something out?
WPF application becomes unresponsive after plugging/ unplugging USB device supporting pen events
I've run across an issue on Windows 10 and 11 where WPF apps seem to become unresponsive when unplugging or plugging in a USB device that registers as an input device that can receive touch/stylus events. This can be seen by creating a basic WPF app in Visual Studio, running it, and then adding/removing one of these devices. I used Spy++ to see which messages the app was receiving. I saw a number of messages I was expecting to see - WM_DEVICECHANGE, WM_POINTERDEVICECHANGE, as well as 0x02C8 or 0x02C9 (WM_TABLET_ADDED or WM_TABLET_DELETED, respectively). However, after this, thousands (or sometimes tens of thousands) of messages were sent to a window belonging to the app that is at (0,0) with dimensions 0x0. Its caption is "OLEChannelWnd". The messages are mostly the same: They're all posted to the window The message ID is 0x0400 (WM_USER + 0) The wParam is always the same (0x0000BABE) The lParam varies each time I restart the WPF app, but they seem to settle on a small number of values - for example, the last time I tried this, I saw 0x05D08BB0 4-6 times, then 0x0D1B8E98 a dozen or more times, then 0x0D1B7B90 several times, and so on. During these messages, the app would become unresponsive for as long as these messages were posted. This could take upwards of 5- 10 minutes before recovering, and sometimes would result in a crash from the app running out of memory. After doing research online, I found some posts that talked about a possible issue in the PenThreadWorker thread - that it could be running into some kind of deadlock when initializing certain objects. I also found several posts that mentioned disabling the stylus & touch events by setting "Switch.System.Windows.Input.Stylus.DisableStylusAndTouchSupport". I can add this to the app.config for my app as follows: <runtime> <AppContextSwitchOverrides value="Switch.System.Windows.Input.Stylus.DisableStylusAndTouchSupport=true" /> </runtime> or, equivalently, I can do the following during application startup: AppContext.SetSwitch("Switch.System.Windows.Input.Stylus.DisableStylusAndTouchSupport", true); This does fix the issue - I don't see these WM_USER messages being sent to the app, and as such the app becomes immediately responsive once the device is plugged/unplugged. However, one of the WPF apps that I'm working with (i.e. not the simple test app) needs to process tablet events, so this setting can't be used there. Furthermore, it can only be set either in app.config or during application startup - any calls to it after that are ignored. I've tried this with .NET 4.5.1, .NET 4.6 (which is required to use the code-based method) as well as .NET 4.8.1, but in all cases I see this same result. As mentioned, I know this isn't an issue unique to my app since I'm able to reproduce this issue by creating a basic WPF app and following the same steps. Additionally, I observed the same issue with other test applications I've found online while trying to troubleshoot this issue. Interestingly, I have observed this within Microsoft's own Visual Studios 2017 (which is what I'm using for development) and have found a few other threads online from other people running into the same problem with their apps. I have also tried updating to later Visual Studios versions for development of my app, but this doesn't solve the issue either. Finally, I followed this post from Microsoft regarding https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/desktop/wpf/advanced/disable-the-realtimestylus-for-wpf-applications and still was unable to fix the issue.
Duck Game Crashes
I am hoping that someone here might be able to steer me in the right direction. I have posted in the game's forum, but I am not receiving any support there. I have a new laptop running Windows 11. We are getting frequent game crashes while playing Duck Game. I am wondering if it is a compatibility issue as the game is older. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Here is our most recent crash report: System.InvalidOperationException: An unexpected error has occurred. at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.GraphicsDevice.DrawUserIndexedPrimitives[T](PrimitiveType primitiveType, T[] vertexData, Int32 vertexOffset, Int32 numVertices, Array indexData, Int32 indexOffset, Int32 primitiveCount, VertexDeclaration vertexDeclaration, _D3DFORMAT indexFormat) at DuckGame.MTSpriteBatcher.FlushVertexArray(Int32 start, Int32 end) in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\Render\SpriteBatcher.cs:line 709 at DuckGame.MTSpriteBatcher.DrawBatch(SpriteSortMode sortMode) in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\Render\SpriteBatcher.cs:line 485 at DuckGame.MTSpriteBatch.End() in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\Render\MTSpriteBatch.cs:line 151 at DuckGame.Layer.End(Boolean transparent, Boolean isTargetDraw) in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\Layer.cs:line 897 at DuckGame.Layer.Draw(Boolean transparent, Boolean isTargetDraw) in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\Layer.cs:line 1154 at DuckGame.LayerCore.DrawLayers() in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\Layer.cs:line 381 at DuckGame.Level.DoDraw() in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\Level.cs:line 1081 at DuckGame.Level.DrawCurrentLevel() in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\Level.cs:line 198 at DuckGame.MonoMain.RunDraw(GameTime gameTime) in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\MonoMain.cs:line 2524 at DuckGame.MonoMain.Draw(GameTime gameTime) in C:\gamedev\duckgame_current_steam\duckgame\DuckGame\src\MonoTime\MonoMain.cs:line 2246 Last 8 Lines of Console Output: Creating ghost (1442) @received Activating NMItemSpawned (2044->2045)((0)(H)LawMac,76561198093753884)(16) @received Activating NMFireGun (2045->2046)((0)(H)LawMac,76561198093753884)(16) @sent Sent NMKillDuck (421)((0)(H)LawMac,76561198093753884)(16) Creating ghost (1443) @received Activating NMItemSpawned (2046->2047)((0)(H)LawMac,76561198093753884)(16) Creating ghost (8879) Creating ghost (8880) Date: 04/19/2024 03:58:56 Version: 1.1.7717.16376 Platform: Windows 10 (Steam Build 8782838)(SFX) Online: 1 (C,0.01582697) Mods: nomods Time Played: 00:39:02 (140607) Special Code: men20 Resolution: (A)1920x1080 (G)1920x1080 (Fullscreen(W))(RF 140420) Level: Content/levels/deathmatch/office01_8.lev Command Line:Using an AI Agent to Automate Jira Updates, PR Reviews, and Code Deployment
In modern software development, teams juggle multiple tools: Jira for project management, GitHub/GitLab for code collaboration, and CI/CD pipelines for deployment. Developers often spend significant time switching contexts—updating Jira tickets, reviewing pull requests, and triggering deployments. An AI agent can automate much of this workflow, acting as a “digital teammate” that fetches Jira data, helps review PRs, and pushes deployments. In this blog, we’ll explore how to set it up step by step. https://dellenny.com/supercharging-your-workflow-using-an-ai-agent-to-automate-jira-updates-pr-reviews-and-code-deployment/Getting Started with Microsoft Playwright Testing Features and How to Use It
In today’s fast-paced development environment, delivering high-quality web applications is crucial. Automated testing plays a key role in ensuring stability, performance, and user experience across browsers and devices. Microsoft Playwright Testing is one of the most powerful tools available for end-to-end (E2E) testing, offering speed, reliability, and cross-browser support. In this post, we’ll explore what Playwright Testing is, its key features, how to use it, and how it integrates with Azure for cloud-scale testing. https://dellenny.com/getting-started-with-microsoft-playwright-testing-features-and-how-to-use-it/
Convert the standard Blazor navigation menu to a collapsible icon menu
While I admittedly love Blazor I’ve always changed the out-of-the-box navigation menu that comes with it. It’s the first manoeuvre I pull when spinning up a new Blazor app, stripping out the purple gradient and getting it in, what I consider, a “blank slate state”. The other change I’ve wanted to make to the out-the-box look is one of those deluxe collapsible menus that leave just the icons showing. Anyone that’s used Azure DevOps will know what I’m talking about. I’ve included a picture to show DevOps example of what I’d like to see in my Blazor app. It gives a load of extra screen real estate which is always a priority for me in business applications particularly with complex or intensive workflows. Plus it gives the user the option to remove the text prompts once they are familiar with the system which is supported with carefully selected icon choices. As with most tasks that I assume will be an obvious solution I hit my search engine of choice and looked to avoid reinventing the wheel. However I found no source of pre-written changes to achieve this and was directed to fairly expensive third party controls to solve this one for me, which, being tight fisted, pushed me to do it for myself. Here I hope you save you the trouble of paying a pretty penny or having to wrestle the CSS into submission and provide a guide for producing a nice collapsible icon navigation menu by altering the existing out of the box menu in Blazor. In the following example I have left all the standard styling as is with the menu and just done the changes required to make the collapsible menu. The three files that require changes are MainLayout.razor, NavMenu.razor and NavMenu.razor.css. The code changes are shown below: Firstly the NavMenu.razor requires a bool value (IconMenuActive) to indicate whether the icon menu is showing or not, then wrap the text of the each NavItem in an if statement dependent on this bool. Then a method for toggling this bool and EventCalBack to send a bool to the MainLayout.razor for shrinking the width of the sidebar. Lastly there needs to be the control for switching menu views (I used the standard io icon arrows). NavMenu.razor <div class="top-row ps-3 navbar navbar-dark"> <div class="container-fluid"> <span class="oi oi-monitor" style="color:white;" aria-hidden="true"></span> @if (!@IconMenuActive) { <a class="navbar-brand" href="">The Menu Title Here</a> } <button title="Navigation menu" class="navbar-toggler" @onclick="ToggleNavMenu"> <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="@NavMenuCssClass" @onclick="ToggleNavMenu"> <nav class="flex-column"> <div class="nav-item px-3"> <NavLink class="nav-link" href="" Match="NavLinkMatch.All"> <span class="oi oi-home" aria-hidden="true"></span> @if (!@IconMenuActive) { <label>Home</label> } </NavLink> </div> <div class="nav-item px-3"> <NavLink class="nav-link" href="counter"> <span class="oi oi-plus" aria-hidden="true"></span> @if (!@IconMenuActive) { <label>Counter</label> } </NavLink> </div> <div class="nav-item px-3"> <NavLink class="nav-link" href="fetchdata"> <span class="oi oi-list-rich" aria-hidden="true"></span> @if (!@IconMenuActive) { <label>Fetch data</label> } </NavLink> </div> </nav> </div> <div class="bottom-row"> <div class="icon-menu-arrow"> @if (!@IconMenuActive) { <span class="oi oi-arrow-left" style="color: white;" @onclick="ToggleIconMenu"></span> } else { <span class="oi oi-arrow-right" style="color: white;" @onclick="ToggleIconMenu"></span> } </div> </div> @code { //bool to send to MainLayout for shrinking sidebar and showing/hide menu text private bool IconMenuActive { get; set; } = false; //EventCallback for sending bool to MainLayout [Parameter] public EventCallback<bool> ShowIconMenu { get; set; } private bool collapseNavMenu = true; private string? NavMenuCssClass => collapseNavMenu ? "collapse" : null; private void ToggleNavMenu() { collapseNavMenu = !collapseNavMenu; } //Method to toggle IconMenuActive bool and send bool via EventCallback private async Task ToggleIconMenu() { IconMenuActive = !IconMenuActive; await ShowIconMenu.InvokeAsync(IconMenuActive); } } Next I add in a bit of CSS in to NavMenu.razor.css to put the arrow for toggling the menu at the bottom of the sidebar and a media query to make sure it doesn't show up in mobile view. The CSS classes added are .bottom-row and .icon-menu-arrow. NavMenu.razor.css .navbar-toggler { background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1); } .top-row { height: 3.5rem; background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.4); } .bottom-row { position: absolute; bottom: 0; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: right; width: 100%; padding-right: 28px; } .icon-menu-arrow { text-align: right; } .navbar-brand { font-size: 1.1rem; } .oi { width: 2rem; font-size: 1.1rem; vertical-align: text-top; top: -2px; } .nav-item { font-size: 0.9rem; padding-bottom: 0.5rem; } .nav-item:first-of-type { padding-top: 1rem; } .nav-item:last-of-type { padding-bottom: 1rem; } .nav-item ::deep a { color: #d7d7d7; border-radius: 4px; height: 3rem; display: flex; align-items: center; line-height: 3rem; } .nav-item ::deep a.active { background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.25); color: white; } .nav-item ::deep a:hover { background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1); color: white; } @media (min-width: 641px) { .navbar-toggler { display: none; } .collapse { /* Never collapse the sidebar for wide screens */ display: block; } } @media (max-width: 640px) { .bottom-row { display: block; } } Finally I add in the handler for the EventCallback to MainLayout.razor and a method to alter the width of the sidebar. MainLayout.razor @inherits LayoutComponentBase <div class="page"> <div class="sidebar" style="@IconMenuCssClass"> <NavMenu ShowIconMenu="ToggleIconMenu"/> </div> <main> <div class="top-row px-4"> <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/aspnet/" target="_blank">About</a> </div> <article class="content px-4"> @Body </article> </main> </div> @code{ private bool _iconMenuActive { get; set; } private string? IconMenuCssClass => _iconMenuActive ? "width: 80px;" : null; protected void ToggleIconMenu(bool iconMenuActive) { _iconMenuActive = iconMenuActive; } } The final product of these little changes are shown in the pictures below: I'd love to hear if anyone has tackled this in a different way to me and if they've got any ideas on making it cleaner. Have yourselves a wonderful day, Gav
Dotnet core Oracle 23c SSL connection not working on Linux environment and works on Windows
Our data direct ADO.NET oracle driver is having an issue with SSL connection on Linux platform and the same connection is working on windows environment with Oracle23c server. Are there any known limitations with dotnet core on linux environment with SSL/TLS connections. Trace : InnerException: System.IO.IOException Message: Unable to read data from the transport connection: Connection reset by peer. Source: System.Net.Sockets Stack Trace at System.Net.Sockets.NetworkStream.Read(Span`1 buffer) at System.Net.Security.SslStream.EnsureFullTlsFrameAsync[TIOAdapter](TIOAdapter adapter) at System.Net.Security.SslStream.ReadAsyncInternal[TIOAdapter](TIOAdapter adapter, Memory`1 buffer) at System.Net.Security.SslStream.Read(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 count) The same application works on Windows environment.
dotnet on linux - Signing key on ... is not bound
dotnet on linux gpg key not working.... Warning: https://packages.microsoft.com/ubuntu/25.04/prod/dists/plucky/InRelease: Policy will reject signature wi thin a year, see --audit for details Controle: https://packages.microsoft.com/ubuntu/25.04/prod/dists/plucky/InRelease: Sub-process /usr/bin/sqv returned a n error code (1), error message is: Signing key on BC528686B50D79E339D3721CEB3E94ADBE1229CF is not bound: No binding signature at time 2025-09-12T15:59:00Z because: Policy rejected non-revocation signature (PositiveCertification) requiring second pre-image resistance because: SHA1 is not considered secure since 2026-02-01T00:00:00Z
Debugging Java script in old asp core app
Hy, I need to modify an asp.net.core app witch I made years ago. in version 2.2. I do succeed to alter C# code in visual studio (2022), but I need to alter also some Java script. The problem is that if I try to do so and I want to debug it it seems that the script in my browser (MS Edge) is not changing. I have enabled Java script debugging in VS. I emptied the browsers cache but nothing seems to help. When I run the application in debugging mode and hit F12 I still see the old script. Please help!Top 10 Things You Can Do with GitHub Copilot as a New Developer
If you’re just starting your coding journey, GitHub Copilot can feel like having a mentor right inside your code editor. It doesn’t just autocomplete code—it helps you learn, experiment, and ship projects faster. Here are the top 10 things you can do with GitHub Copilot as a new developer: https://dellenny.com/top-10-things-you-can-do-with-github-copilot-as-a-new-developer-2/When should I use SQL Server, MySQL, or PostgreSQL?
I'm working on a web application (using C#/.NET backend), and I need to choose a relational database. I'm considering three options: Microsoft SQL Server MySQL PostgreSQL I want to understand: What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Which database is better suited for: Transactional performance Advanced querying / analytics Ease of use with .NET Cross-platform support Are there any licensing or hosting concerns I should consider? My use case involves: Moderate traffic Complex queries with joins APIs and background jobs Deployment to cloud (Azure) I’d appreciate any recommendations or real-world experience comparing these databases.What's the future of RDLC ("client-side SSRS", aka "ReportViewer")?
This is the information I could gather so far: Getting an RDLC renderer for .NET 5+ is currently the https://feedback.azure.com/d365community/idea/ec1af842-4d25-ec11-b6e6-000d3a4f0da0. Unfortunately, there are currently no plans to do that (see https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/announcing-net-5-0-preview-6/). There are some enthusiast ports/recompilations floating around on github and nuget, but they are not official. The https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/sqlrsteamblog/ is dead, the last entry is from 2018. There's a third-party company providing an RDLC renderer, but https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/sqlrsteamblog/microsoft-acquires-report-rendering-technology-from-forerunner-software. Nothing has been heard since. There is currently no ReportViewer designer for Visual Studio 2022. Getting one is currently the https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/search?space=8&sort=votes&q=2022. From a business perspective, I can totally understand that Microsoft is not giving this highly-loved feature the resources it needs. After all, they are basically giving away a great reporting engine for free, undermining their own SQL Server and Power BI sales. And they are not even hiding the fact that they'd rather have people purchase Power BI subscriptions, which is perfectly fine. They are a company, not a charity. Unfortunately, adding a dependency to a third-party cloud service is a no-go for many software development scenarios. Thus, I would like to start a discussion on the following points: It seems to me that MS no longer wants people to use their RLDC reporting engine in new projects. Is this observation correct? If you have a large repository of RDLC reports in your project, what are your migration plans? Are there drop-in replacements from third parties? Would Microsoft consider open-sourcing the RLDC engine, so that the community can "keep the product alive" for legacy scenarios and prevent this from being a blocker in .NET 5+ migrations? Best regards HeinziHow to Migrate Legacy Applications Using GitHub Copilot
Migrating legacy applications to modern platforms is one of the most challenging tasks in software development. Legacy systems often contain years of business logic, outdated frameworks, and dependencies that are no longer supported. At the same time, businesses need these applications to remain reliable and secure while benefiting from modern practices. This is where GitHub Copilot can become a powerful ally. By acting as your AI pair programmer, Copilot can help accelerate repetitive refactoring tasks, suggest modern equivalents for deprecated code, and provide scaffolding for newer frameworks. While it won’t completely automate a migration, it can dramatically reduce the effort and improve developer productivity. https://dellenny.com/how-to-migrate-legacy-applications-using-github-copilot/Mastering GitHub Copilot: Tips, Shortcuts, and Prompts That Work
GitHub Copilot has quickly become one of the most powerful coding assistants available to developers. Powered by AI, it can autocomplete lines of code, generate functions, write tests, and even help with documentation. But to get the most out of Copilot, you need more than just enabling it in your IDE—you need to know how to prompt it effectively, use shortcuts, and apply the right strategies. Here’s a practical guide to mastering GitHub Copilot. https://dellenny.com/mastering-github-copilot-tips-shortcuts-and-prompts-that-work/Using GitHub Copilot to Teach Programming A New Approach for Educators
Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way we learn, work, and create. One of the most intriguing applications in computer science education is GitHub Copilot, the AI-powered coding assistant. While originally designed to boost developer productivity, Copilot has the potential to reshape programming education—acting as a tutor, coding partner, and motivator for students. In this post, we’ll explore how educators can use GitHub Copilot to support teaching, highlight potential benefits and pitfalls, and suggest practical strategies for integrating it into the classroom. https://dellenny.com/using-github-copilot-to-teach-programming-a-new-approach-for-educators/
