Mark Thomson

Now it's starting to warm up again, they've slithered back into our lives. The ever repellant snakes are starting to return around the property again. So we have to be ever vigilant to avoid being bitten. Here's the latest whip snake. We found it come out from a hole under the house pad over the weekend. I went around the side of the house and nearly stood on it. Thankfully it's not overly aggressive, but it can still kill a child, so it's a bit of a worry. We've apparently got King Browns out on our property, although we haven't seen one yet. Those are a lot more dangerous, since they're territorial and will attack.

There is a GUID generating utility bundled with Visual Studio. It is located in Microsoft Visual Studio 8/Common 7/Tools/Bin/guidgen.exe. Run the tool and select the format of GUID you want generated. Click on Generate a New GUID, and then click Copy to Clipboard to transfer the GUID for pasting into your application's code.

Beeb had Muster Day today where they assigned the kids to their teams. He got assigned to the Mets, but they've since changed the training time to an absolutely stupid 4 o'clock which we can't get too. I don't know what we're going to do now. I might have to see if we can move him to another team. There's no way we can make training at that time as we both work. Originally it was going to be 5 which would have been better, but I'm guessing some pampered housewife complained about it, and now they've made it earlier. I guess it's alright if you don't have to work. So far I'm getting a bit annoyed with the whole thing. The club has been pretty disorganised, we've had weeks or no activity at all, vagueness about dates and times, we got two coaches who are running some kind of 'time share' option on training - not good! I hope we can get this all sorted out, because Beeb's really excited to get playing and make some friends, and if they fluff about too much longer, I'm worried he's going to get disappointed and lose interest in it.

Change the extension on the file from .wsp to .cab, and the file will become a standard zip cabinet that will be recognized by any zip handling package. You will be able to view the packages contents and extract them.

Open your web.config file. Locate the compilation parameters in system.web and replace them with the block below. Note the new line referring to the SPUrl expression. Also be aware that this only works with MOSS and not WSS, as WSS does not have access to the publishing DLL. For WSS you will need to path to your image/item rather than using the dynamic SPUrl.

<compilation batch= " false " debug= " false " >
<assemblies>
<add assembly= " Microsoft.SharePoint, Version= 12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c "/>
</assemblies>
<expressionBuilders>
<remove expressionPrefix= " Resources "/>
<add expressionPrefix= " Resources " type= " Microsoft.SharePoint.SPResourceExpressionBuilder, Microsoft.SharePoint, Version= 12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c "/>
<add expressionPrefix= " SPHtmlEncodedResources " type= " Microsoft.SharePoint.SPHtmlEncodedResourceExpressionBuilder, Microsoft.SharePoint, Version= 12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c "/>
<add expressionPrefix= " SPSimpleFormattingEncodedResources " type= " Microsoft.SharePoint.SPSimpleFormattingEncodedResourceExpressionBuilder, Microsoft.SharePoint, Version= 12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c "/>
<add expressionPrefix= " SPUrl " type= " Microsoft.SharePoint.Publishing.WebControls.SPUrlExpressionBuilder, Microsoft.SharePoint.Publishing, Version= 12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c "/>
</expressionBuilders>
</compilation>

If you cannot edit code you may be working in Contributor Mode (should be visible along the top menu bar). To allow Code view in Contributor Mode, go into the Site Menu, choose Contributor Settings. Modify the Content Authors (default) profile. Click the check box that says Allow user of Code View. Click OK. You should now be able to edit your code. The Design, Split, and Code option will be available at the base of your content window now.

Here's how to add your company logo so it is inherited across your sites.

Browse to the top level of your site collection in the browser.

From The Site Actions Menu, Select View All Site Content

Select the Site Collection Images Library

Upload your Company Logo (companylogo.gif) - If required, approve this image.

Open SharePoint Designer 2007 and Select File, Open Site. Type the URL of the top level of your site collection.

Locate the master page gallery in the left pane. _catalogs\masterpage

Double click the default.master (you may be prompted to check it out - if so choose yes)

Search For: <SharePoint:SiteLogoImage id=”onetidHeadbnnr0″ LogoImageUrl=”/_layouts/images/titlegraphic.gif” runat=”server”/>

Replace With: <asp:Image runat=”server” id=”logo” ImageUrl=”< %$ SPUrl: ~sitecollection/sitecollectionimages/companylogo.gif %>/>

What the above does is replace the default (site by site) mechanism for replacing the company logo with a hard coded reference to the company logo which you uploaded to the Site Collection Images library.

By doing this, all pages which inherit from the top level default.master will be updated to reflect this change. Each time you create a sub site, simply inherit from the master page of the parent site collection.

Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:

network.http.pipelining network.http.proxy.pipelining network.http.pipelining.maxrequests

Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.

Alter the entries as follows:

Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.

Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0". This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives.

Use stsadm.exe to create a backup of the entire site.

Open the command line and enter:

"c:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\bin\stsadm.exe" -o backup -url http://www-dev-19/ -filename c:\fullbackup -overwrite

The root SharePoint site at www-dev-19 is backed up in its entirety to a file on C:\ called fullbackup. The exported site generated a 411Mb file on C:\.

Now go into your SharePoint Administration tool, and create a new Site Application. Make note of the site name and port number. In this case, we created a new site application on port 2091.

Then go back into the command line and enter:

"c:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\bin\stsadm.exe" -o restore -url http://www-dev-19:2091/ -filename c:\fullbackup -overwrite

The data is imported from the file into the new site application database.

We have now created a duplicate of our original site on port 80 on port 2091.

Saw an interesting article on Digg recommending time savers for building web sites. Here's a cut down version so I can remember to use some of these awesome tools in future projects.

Drop Down Menus :: All Web Menus (http://www.likno.com/allwebmenusinfo.html )

Image Capture :: Gadwin Printscreen (http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/)

Batch Image Resizing :: Multiple Image Resizer .NET (http://www.multipleimageresizer.net/ )

Web Forms :: My Contact Form (http://www.mycontactform.com)

CSS Text Boxes :: Rounded Cornr (http://www.roundedcornr.com/)

Vectorizing Images :: Vector Magic (http://vectormagic.com/)

Selecting Color Schemes :: Adobe Kuler (http://kuler.adobe.com/)

Creating a Patterned Background :: Stripe Generator (http://www.stripegenerator.com/)

Building a Quick Photo Gallery :: Flickr Slidr (http://flickrslidr.com/)

Testing Your Website in Multiple Browsers :: Browser Shots (http://browsershots.org/)

If you want to check out the original article it's available here.

If you are getting the message “The file you are attempting to save or retrieve has been blocked from this Web site by the server administrators.", Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 prevents certain file types from being uploaded to the server. Server administrators can add or remove file types from this list, as needed. Contact your server administrator to request that the file type be unblocked.

To resolve this issue, remove the file type from the Blocked File Types page in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. To enable a file type that is currently blocked, remove it from the global settings list and from the Web application list. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.
2. Click Operations, and then click Blocked file types under Security Configuration.
3. On the Blocked File Types page, click Global Settings in the Web Application box.
4. Remove the file name extension from the list of blocked file types. For example, remove the .config file name extension.
5. Click OK.

If you are using MOSS there are some additional steps.
6. Under Security Configuration, click Blocked file types.
7. On the Blocked File Types page, click the Web application that you want to configure in the Web Application box.
8. Remove the file name extension from the list of blocked file types.
9. Click OK.

Remote access into your Sharepoint server. Open command line access, and navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\bin.

Run stsadm -o export -url http://<server name>/<server path>/<site name> -filename <path to export file> -includeusersecurity -versions 4

Exports the site data to your output file. Creates a file with a .cmp extension.

Then create the new site in the location you want in Sharepoint. Make a note of the new site address. Delete any unwanted welcome posts, category entries, etc. Imported data is amended not replaced.
Open command line access, and navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\bin.

Run stsadm -o import -url http://<server name>/<server path>/<site name> -filename -filename <path to import file> -includeusersecurity

Data is imported into new site. Check that everything you require is there, and then you can delete the old site.

Wow this film was amazing. Batman Begin's was awesome, and they've just refined, continued, and expanded upon it's universe for The Dark Knight. Hopefully they'll be able to keep the same high-standard and quality up for the next film (or possibly final film if it's intended to be a trilogy). Although it's a long film, it was never boring, and when there was action going on, it was relentless. I was delighted that for once they didn't kill off Batman's villains, and I'm really saddened that Heath Ledger is no longer with us to continue as the Joker. I really pity the actor that has to follow on from his portrayal. I can't wait to get this on DVD. This is a definite buy.

Plot Synopsis:

Batman has escalated his war on crime and is relentlessly pursuing the city's mafia elements. With the help of Jim Gordon and the new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, they are attacking the criminal syndicate's money holdings. The Joker pulls a daring heist on a mob owned bank. The criminals are becoming desperate, with problems from both Batman and the Joker.

Lucius Fox is investigating a business partnership with Mr Lau's company in Hong Kong, but suspects that his business dealings might not be legitimate. During the investigation, an accountant at Wayne Enterprises stumbles on the funding for Applied Sciences and discovers the plans for the Tumbler. He tries to blackmail Lucius. Lucius laughs off his suggestions that Bruce Wayne is Batman.

Mr Lau arranges to have all the syndicates money stored in a secure location. The Joker offers to help the syndicates by destroying the Batman in exchange for half the money. Lau returns to Hong Kong, and the police realising the connection between Lau and the syndicates are powerless to retrieve him. Batman travels to Hong Kong and abducts Lau, returning him to the Gotham police. Harvey Dent then has all the crime syndicate members arrested and prosecuted.

The Joker begins targeting the Police Commissioner, Harvey Dent, and the Judge responsible. He kills the Commissioner and Judge, but Harvey is rescued by Batman when the Joker attacks Bruce's charity function. Batman saves Rachel after the Joker drops her out the penthouse window. Bruce hopes that Rachel will continue to wait for him, as he thinks he will soon be able to set Batman aside and let Harvey Dent take over the war on crime. However Rachel has moved on with Harvey.

The Joker threatens to kill more people unless Batman reveals his identity to the public. When Jim Gordon is killed, Bruce considers giving in, but Alfred tells him to endure and continue on. Harvey comes forward as Batman, and is arrested by the police, hoping to lure out the Joker. Rachel is angry with Bruce for allowing Harvey to take the blame for Batman.

When Harvey is transported to the Gotham jails, the Joker attacks. Batman intervenes but the Tumbler is destroyed after catching a missile in the engine. Batman escapes after the remains of the Tumbler converts and releases the batpod. He pursues the Joker, disabling his truck by flipping it over with cables. He then faces down the Joker, and with the help of Jim Gordon captures the Joker. Jim had faked his own death to protect his family.

With the Joker in jail, the crime syndicates have Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent abducted by some crooked cops. Jim Gordon is promoted to Commissioner. The Joker antagonises Batman, but eventually tells him that he has Harvey and Rachel in separate locations chained to barrels filled with gasoline. Batman can only save one of them. Batman goes to save Rachel and Gordon goes to save Harvey, but the addresses the Joker gave them are reversed. So Batman saves Harvey but Rachel is killed in the explosion. The left side of Harvey's face is badly burned.

The Joker escapes. When the lawyer from Wayne Enterprises goes to the media and say's he will reveal who Batman is, Joker intervenes and says he will destroy a hospital unless someone kills the lawyer within an hour. When citizens try to kill the lawyer, Gordon moves them to another location. Bruce discovers who the crooked cops were, and intervenes to save Jim and the lawyer's life.

Harvey (now 'Two Face') starts to go crazy and after some taunting by the Joker at the hospital, gets revenge on everyone who had anything to do with Joker's plan and Rachel's death. Joker destroys the hospital. Batman realises that the Joker has played them all from the start.

When Joker traps two groups of people on city ferries; one group of convicts and another of citizens, he tries to provoke them into killing each other with the detonators and explosives he's placed on each boat.

Batman uses Fox's cell-phone sonar technology to wire all of Gotham's cellphones together in an effort to locate the Joker. Lucius is angry that Bruce is using the technology to undermine everyone's freedom to privacy. He agrees to help this once, but will leave the company if the technology remains there. Batman eventually finds and captures Joker again. After a tense stand-off on the boats, neither group kills the other. The Joker is disappointed he cannot provoke people into chaos, but taunts Batman by telling him how he has failed, since Joker has corrupted Harvey.

Meanwhile, Harvey has kidnapped Gordon's family and taken them to the place where Rachel died. He blames Gordon because some of his officers (who were escorting Rachel and Harvey when they were abducted) were working with the Joker. Batman arrives saves Gordon's family, in the process causing Harvey to fall to his death.

Batman tells Gordon that Gotham does not need to know that their hero, attorney Harvey Dent became this monster, and that the only way to honor his memory is to say that Batman committed the murders Two-Face did, making Batman a wanted criminal. With Gordon as the commissioner and head of the Major Crimes Unit, Batman recommends that the city look to their police force for protection, so the Batsignal is destroyed.

In the aftermath, Gordon tells his son about the heroic figure that watches over Gotham, a Dark Knight named Batman.

To enable debugging, open the web.config file with notepad, that is located in the volume containing your Inetpub root. Eg:

c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\80\web.config

Search for the Callstack attribute. Change it from False to True.

Then locate the CustomErrors element. Disable it.

Check any web parts or controls are registered in the Safe Controls list.

Finally, add a new element to the web.config file:

<trace enabled="true" pageOutput="true" />

Now you will receive the full stack traces as output on errors instead of the cryptic non-descriptive error message you get by default.

To debug a web part, under the Debug menu select Attach to Process. Check the Ensure Show System Processes and Show Processes in all Sessions boxes. Locate the w3wp.exe process that is running when you have a browser open with the site in it. Select this process to attach the part too. Back in the browser, access your web part as normal, and when it encounters a problem or a breakpoint, you will be sent back into the Visual Studio debugger.