Can't Grok, Won't Grok

So, I wanted to do something a bit fresher and possibly more interesting for TD#5. I have been cramming a lot for my next MS exam of late, so wanted to just have some fun and not really think about anything :) I therefore scanned my Tech ToDo list and and through I would go for WPF. Silverlight is quite high on my list, so I thought it would be good to get a high-level look at WPF in general (since I have not yet worked with XAML). So, let’s rock and roll! Getting Started/Initial Setup Of course I already have VS 2008, but if not, go and download the VS2008 Express Edition in your language of choice ( VB or C# ). I also use O’Reilly Safari, so I had a look on there for any WPF books. I came across Pro WPF in C# 2008 (Matthew MacDonald), so I added that to my library and began reading while nomming down on my breakfast. As always, there is some sample code for the tech day, not much for this one that is really functional since I am really playing with some basic ideas.

Looking at current trends in the market, with companies wanting to downsize and squeeze all they can from their staff – it has becoming increasingly more obvious that most developers are doing a LOT more database work. This has been my “Achilles heel” for quite some time, however it has never really been an issue since there has always been people at work that I can call upon to give us a hand. However, I am not a fan of leaving weaknesses unchecked, so here I am and here is SQL on my Tech ToDo .. Why the “For Developers”? I think my biggest problem (and I am sure I am not alone here) with SQL is that I am a developer first. I often struggle with SQL because I think in a more procedural fashion, whereas SQL is set-based . This is a real mental shift in how you approach problems. Before we get cracking, this post is NOT geared towards complete SQL n00bs. You should be comfortable with the basics.. SELECT, INSERT, UPDATES, DELETES and JOINS etc. Getting Started Go ahead and